Updates - Knitting and Morning Glories

Here is my current knitting project:

I like the back (horizontal piece)  better than the front.

Today the morning glories were very floriferous.

And zinnias in the garden:

Schneestern update

New Knitting Project

Helene

Saturday Update Drawing and Knitting

So here is what I have doen with my drawing:

And here is the progress of the knitting:

Fox Paws Update

Well, I've made it through almost an entire  run of the fox paws pattern. This time went better, but I fudged a lot on the last row so I hope that won't be too obvious!!

Now it is time to decide whether to diverge from the pattern or to  follow the color suggestions made by the pattern author.

Drawing Draft

So after thinking a bit, I have decided to continue on my Milton-esque search for a minimal style and this is the sketch/plan for my new drawing.

 

This is supposed to be an outdoor setting, so I need to get the house faccade more grounded and add some brickwork to the chimney, indicate space to the right behind the house.  Not sure about it yet.

Also I decided to update my picture of my very slowly evolving fox paws project. I'm adding a new color (top of image)which is a rich purple (and not black) like it looks like in the picture. There is black along the bottom.  This pattern is kind of a pain to do so I am considering two repeats and then a ground of some other color and then two more repeats to make it a border. We'll see.

Having problems with a new Knitting Pattern

The prong of yellow in the righthand tree is clearly in the wrong place. I can not figure out this pattern for the life of me!!

 

Not enjoying this pattern (Fox Paws) much (yet!)

The Universe is Calling

Sometimes the universe can be so cruel and other times it is gentle and loving. Not too long ago I got an upbraiding from someone I "met" on the internet and I went crying to my spousal unit, who characteristically (in his oh so laconic way) said that perhaps it was the universe sending me a wake up call. This caused me to reexamine my eating habits, health practices, and sedentary ways and has sent me on the road to taking better care of myself.

Today I got another call, but it was a loving nudge at a time when I really needed it. My thyroid and hormones are definitely off-kilter and stress has caused me to feel extremely tired. Last night I had had great difficulty staying asleep and when I awoke this morning it was -4 Fahrenheit (-20 Centigrade) outside and although I had been in bed almost 9 hours, I felt completely exhausted and I was having a horrible time dragging myself out of bed. Seriously, as sad as it sounds, I was lying there telling myself, "You really are going to put a foot on the floor and stand up." (over and over again).  I kept thinking about my long list of things I had to do today, fill out travel receipt requests, clean out the hall closet, pay bills, vacuum, write to some friends in Germany to whom I owe letters, readjust some syllabi that refuse to accept proper ordering, etc.

So, I finally staggered out of bed and had barely pulled on my pants, when there was a knock at the door. (Yes, the universe was calling).

The postal carrier had brought me a package.

Remember those friends in Germany I had to write? Well, one of them had promised to send me a pair of socks she had knit for me. That was something worth getting up for! I was thinking that maybe they had arrived. The package was too light to be my grapefruit order, and it certainly was from Germany, but it was far too large to be a pair of hand-made socks. Now I felt curiosity and delight. Upon opening I discovered a variety of holiday gifts in brightly colored paper.



My friend Heike had outdone herself and sent far more than the promised socks. Look at all the amazing things I received and at a time when I was struggling. Smiling is one of the best defenses against stress and high levels of stress hormones, and oh how I smiled!

New years are a time for review and renewal, and I had certainly been sent a reminder from the universe about how important friends are.

I feel so much better now, so its off to accomplish the things on my list. But I am going to rearrange my priorities! Is it really important to have an orderly hall closet or a dirt free floor? l think I'll have a cup of tea and write those people in Germany first! Then we'll see. I've got a new hat and warm socks! Maybe I'll go out and play in the snow! Thank you Heike!



   

Afghan for Mom also Off the Needles!

A million years ago my family members (my sisters in particular) started a knitting project to give to my Mom for her borthday (I think).  We bought some Noro Kureyon that we loved that had popular colors for the time of turquooise, burgundy and mustard. (See it was a REALLY long time ago!!) Each sister took a different solid color to add to the variegated Noro squares and was supposed to produce enough squares to make a nice warm afghan. Even my spousal unit learned to knit and picked up needles to do a square or two.

Well, we got sidetracked (for years) and although the topic caem up repeatedly we never seemed to get going on it agian until this year when my enterprising sister decided, like it or not, we were going to finish the afghan. We were all commanded to put everything else aside and knit squares.

Amazingly enough we did ity and even finished weaving in the ends in time to give it as a holiday gift.  YOu can't really tell, but each square has a pattern or motif from Barbara Walker's pattern books.  Here is the finished item:

 

And here is Mom with her gift.

Red Shawl Off the Needles

I don't love this shawl. I never liked the way the yarn knit up.  It actually looks okay folded on my chair but it is a funny shape and the "swing"/short row patches are not volutuous enough. Nonetheless, it is mostly finished (Still have to do the ends)

Current Knitting Project

Here's some yarn I didn't know what to do with. I guess it is going to be a scarf.

Quick Knitting Project for a Gift

Here is a quick scarf I knit up for a friend. Spousal unit D loves this kind of scarf because of it's versatility. His grandmother made him one of these a million years ago and I have been reproducing them periodically over the years. Her's is still the best, but because they can be used to cover the face bandito-style or worn about  the neck and snugged up by putting one end through the other end's keyhole part, the are just great for Minnesota cold.

Finished Object! Yea!

So I finished my shawl today.

Swing Scarf Finished

I finished up the scarf from the Swing Knitting™ class , so I thought I would put it up on the blog. I'd like to put a couple of tassels at the bottom, but I don't have quite enough yarn, because I decided to make a hat with the left overs.

I had hoped to do a beret, but I didn't have enough yarn, so I ended up with a little skull cap. (I'd like to put a tassel on it too, so I'll keep my eye open for some yarn of a close color.

 

 

Here is an additional shot of the cap, which I also did in the Swing™ method.

State of the Knitted Blanket

So I finally got around to my mosaic project today.

Here's what it looks like after a little knitting today.

Miscellaneous Activities

Today I don't feel so well. We've had three solid days of meetings and I was really looking forward to having some fun today, but it just wasn't meant to be. Basically I sat and watched tv and tried to keep my stomach calm. This blog is comprised of a variety of small activities that I have done intermittently over the last week or so.

I'm thinking a lot about my Renaissance festival costume. I have the base, but still need a wide assortment of pieces to complete the look. I've been doing some reading and had no idea there were so many decisions to make about sleeves, undersleeves, shifts, petticoats, farthingales, etc.  I have made a decision about my frontpiece and sleeves. Here is the fabric I have bought.

 

Now I need to decide how many underskirts. I am seriously considering putting my farthingale hoops directly into my chemise because who needs to be wearing four skirts in mid August!? In fact I'm thinking of just using a so-called bum roll for now and doing away with the hoops altogether. Somehow I just don't see how you can maneuver the farthingale in a porto-potty!

So, while I'm trying to commit to a decision, I started lace for my sleeves (which I can't make my mind up about either!! -Slashed? Cuttes? turned up? etc.)

I realize lace at the time was not knitted, but this is something I can do in my spare time, so I decided to go for it. (The picture should be just about accurate size-wise).

Then there's the carrot. I had to make chicken soup because my tummy has been acting up. I was fascinated by our carrots (which had evidently been in the fridge longer than I thought.)


It's beautiful in an odd and pathetic sort of way!



My mindless knitting has been a knit one below afghan using the techniques I learned from Elise Duvekot. I goofed and had to do a square between two other squares and decided the seam looked really bad. Of course I decided to rip it out and do it over. Can you tell which is which?

Here's a detail so you can see it better. I just didn't join the left squares to each other very well.

 

So after watching most of a season of In Treatment and knitting, here is what i have (each square is roughly 4 inches square). Of course this attempt to use up yarn has lead me to order more on-line so that I can actually do something useful with this.

This attempt to use up my stash just never seems to work!

Quick Update

The iris along the driveway are beginning to bloom. Spring is finally here.

As far as incidental projects, well I've been spinning cat hair again. I had to knit something with it to see what I thought and here is the beginning of a doily called Glockenblume.

 

It's about 7 inches in diameter right now and of course I am now out of "yarn" on row 20. I wonder how much more I can harvest before I have a bald kitty!

Various and Sundry

It's a lazy afternoon. Most everyone in the house is up to this:


I on the otherhand decided to find something to do with those plastic things that come around a six-pack of cans.


Maybe a doormat?

Blocking an old piece

As I was looking for another ball of yarn for my shawl, I dug up this old piece that I had knitted from cat hair and silk. Alas, Deja is no longer with us, but it is nice to have a memory of her.

Current Project

I have all these swatches from classes I've taken on knitting! So since I'm too tired to work on my lace project, I decided to sew a few of them together. The colors are weird, but here is what I have in mind. I've been connecting the swatches with a royal blue and writing the names of my teachers near the appropriate swatch. As you can see only a few of the swatches are actually put together so far, but I laid out most of the pieces to see how they might look together.