Knitting for Charity

If you're a frequent reader, you might have noticed that I love knitting for other people. Family, friends, aquaintances, and strangers - it's all good, in my book! I particularly enjoy knitting for charity. Well, I just bought a pattern for charity! The Hibiscus for Hope is a pattern created specifically to gain support for Breast Cancer Research in Canada. I know, it's not even my own COUNTRY! I can't resist!

Some FO's!

First, my FO's (finished objects). These are my new socks - made from Tiny Toes yarn, color was called "City Brights", and boy, are these bright! Put on your shades before looking directly at my feet! I was going to make them basic toe-up socks, but then The Evil Sock Genius posted his latest diabolically wonderful heel pattern, and I had to try it. I love it! It creates a flap and gusset, just like we all love in cuff-down socks, but it's toe-up and it's easy - no picking up stitches! Miraculous!

This is a simple hat for my friend, Lisa, who is starting Chemo next month. I hope it fits her! She has kind of a big head, but even with measurements it's hard to really tell what will happen w/o hair.




And, since I have 2 new FO's, I cast on a new project - a baby sweater! This is obviously for a baby boy - our friends Dave and Vera are expecting in September, and I'll be hosting a shower for her in August. :-)



OK - knitting news is done for now. Now on to some bragging! Simon got a medal for decent GPA in school - that's cool. He also got a few certificates for participating in Mock Trial and Power of the Pen, and he won an award for "Outstanding Witness" in Mock Trial. yay! He also has something in the student exhibit at the Columbus Arts Festival, but I have to admit that I let the heat deter me from going to see it this afternoon. He didn't want to go, either, so we went to the pool for an hour instead.

And this is Samwise, one of our cats, who had burrowed under the bit of carpet at the back door. I think he thinks he's invisible there while he watches the bunnies and birds in the yard.

Sammy, honey? We can still see your head and tail!

But What Shall I Pack?

First, here are the promised pictures of the big blizzard a few weeks ago. We had over 20 inches in about 12 hours! Si, as you can see, is covered. LOL He had so much fun running around our yard and over in the nearby playground. He doesn't even seem to mind getting wet.

This is a picture of our paper delivered on Saturday. Do you see that little spot of the paper, stuch straight up in the snow about 1/3 of the way up the drive? I can't blame our delivery person at all. It was nasty! I was surprised, frankly, that we got the paper at all. We never did get mail that day (so much for the mail always getting through!).

What to pack?
I'm leaving for Minneapolis tomorrow for PLA (Public Library Association's Conference). I'll be gone Tuesday through Sunday. What knitting shall I pack? I have several projects:
Baby Surplice Sweater - I"m doing this with size 10 needles and chunky yarn. It's going to end up about size 2 or 4, Toddler sizes. I just had to get some more colors for the striping today as I'm running low on the main ones. It'll still look cool, though, I think. This is a pretty good candidate for the plane because it's easy to follow and stuff, but as I probably only have another 2-3 hours of knitting I could finish it on the plane and then be bored.

This is my clapotis! I've finally given in and decided to try one. I've cast it on specifically so that I can travel with it to PLA . . . but now I've realized that I'll want to switch colors several times throughout the 4-6 hours I'll be en route tomorrow, and I am nervous about cutting implements and airport security. Ack! This is great in all other respects, though, since the pattern is simple but not mindless, and colors are pleasing and calming, and it's silky wool that doesn't take up much room in the computer bag.

My third project for the road is my socks. You can't tell from this awful picture, but the yarn is really bright and wonderful. A cachophony of colors! Trouble is, socks can get really tedious if they're all you have to knit on at any given time. Maybe I could pack the iPod and use that to amuse myself while knitting and traveling. I wonder if anyone I know will be on the same plane. I have a vague idea I will run into someone.

Snow, WIPs and FOs

I've tried to upload photos about 6 times today, and I'm still getting some kind of server error. Since I am still able to upload to my Flickr account, I can only assume this is a Blogger problem.

At any rate, here is a recap of my day . . . in lists for those of you who enjoy such things.

Beautiful Sights:

1. The snow across the world makes everything look like part of an alien landscape.
2. Some of the houses are losing the snow from their roofs (rooves?) in nearly solid sheets, so it is draping off of them like thick frozen curtains. Many look like arctic gnomish bungalows.
3. Young men making money by shoveling snow (thank goodness for the men who came here to the Heart Attack House!). My driveway is completely clear and dry.
4. People helping others to get out of being stuck (thank goodness, again, for the kind folks who helped me get out of the unshoveled entrance to my bank - I didn't really need that money, anyway!)
5. The cleaned-outed-ness of our fridge because DH got bored and actually cleared out the old food stuffs.

Fantastic and Wonderous Things:

1. The snow . . . see above.
2. My son enjoying real history shows on TV.
3. DH's homemade meals - 2 dinners in a row were head-on hits! Excellent chili lastnight, and tonight a pot roast with potatoes, carrots and celery. COMFORT FOOD!

Stuff I've accomplished, having had 2 days when I couldn't do much else:

1. Finished my lavendar legwarmers.
2. Posted to blog - more than once!
3. Made brownies (boy, do they smell good!).
4. Knit on DH's sweater, my new socks, the legwarmers, and cast on for a new child's sweater (I'm aiming for Toddler/Preschool size, but you never know with this pattern).

I've also managed to get some Knitting-Related-Injuries:

1. Sore upper arm muscles from wrestling with the yarn of the leg warmers - it has acryllic in it and doesn't give much.
2. That scratch thing on my right pointer finger is back. Ouch! I think it's the sock needle that does it.

Follow links to Flickr and Ravelry for pics.

Pics of Sock Exchange!

Check out these pictures from KB's flickr account. They tell the story of our Sock Exchange meeting pretty well! We had fun! Only that that was needed to make it perfect would have been if Jen had been able to come. :-)

Knitting as an obsession?

I nicked this animated short from Jen's Blog because it really made me laugh! It also makes me think that I'm not nearly as obsessive as some other people about knitting!

These are the socks I made for the Sock Exchange - and Kay says they fit perfectly!

This is the Ice Princess scarf I made for my former boss who just retired last week. I gave it to her on her second-to-last day of work when we went to lunch. She is a magnificent woman, and has been a mentor to me for a long time. I'll miss having her around, but thankfully she's still in town. I've told her she can't escape me!

Over-Ravel'd

I've finally joined Ravelry. It's a great site! I can't seem to pull myself away from it, though!

I found out, for instance, that the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklinburg Cty have craft programs! Look!

My name at is Caterwaul1 - add me as a friend!

I also have been knitting, believe it or not. I've been making good progress on DH's sweater, but pics won't show much - more when I get the sleeves going or something.

I realized I'd never posted finished pics of Simon's socks. The yarn is called Evolution and supposed to be washable, etc., but someone told me that theirs is pilling and shedding, so I've been hand-washing these. I'm sure he'll grow out of them in the next year, but for now they're perfect. He loves them, too! See the double helix cable? Big thanks to Don for gifting me the extra yarn I needed for them. Very generous friend, eh?

I'm also still working on a scarf thing for my friend who is soon to retire . . . but I've switched to a new ball of the yarn and am doing an actual pattern, Ice Queen with beads and everything!

Also of note was a visit here from my friend, Laura and her family. We went to the Franklin Park Conservatory for the trains and orchids. It was fun!

Christmas Knitting Begun!

Well, I think I've figured out why I'm not posting as much. My son has been on the computer! Darn him! Anyway, he's at school now, and I've taken some time (rather than going immediately back to bed for a nippy-nap) to take some WIP pics so I can fill you in on my recent knitting escapades.



I've started a sweater vest for someone very special - and it's lovely wool, but I think it is sort of exacerbating my sinus problems, so I'm going to have to limit myself to just an hour or so a day on this.

I've finished another Baby Surprise Jacket. Love it! This pattern is so easy and so fun, it just flows off the needles. I also have to admit to some sick pleasure in seeing someone else trying to figure out how to make the glob of knitting turn into a smooth, cool sweater - my husband hates me for this teasing!

This is another update on the socks for my son. I'm just about out of yarn, and I'm waiting for some more yarn from my buddy, Don. He purchased the same yarn with me at the knitter's connection, and said he'd score me some more of it. You can kind of almost see the cabling going up the sides. I really hope these still fit the little (not so little!) monster at Christmas!

And finally, some slippers for another person very special to me. I like this pattern - it's exactly what Gramma used to use. Don't be surprised when you see more of these little ditties on the blog (and under the Xmas tree!).

Socks!

My new socks are done! Aren't they pretty? They feel nice on my feet, too! For the details of the yarn, pattern, etc, see my last post.

I had to take this pic of Simon this evening. This is how he looks much of the time we're home. He's drawing, he's got a reference book to his left so he can make sure his details are correct, and he's got other paraphernalia around him. Rosie found him fascinating, too.

OK, Back to knitting. I've started some more socks, these for my young artist. I'm trying two at one time, toe-up as my sock sensei has suggested. More on these as they progress!

I've finished my bag-o-bags. I knitted strips of plastic grocery bags on size 17 needles. I'm going to make some kind of straps - any suggestions? Seems to me like plastic would be unstable, stretchy and sticky. Maybe some scrap fabric I have laying around. Nothing will be purchased to make this bag!

SIP

Socks in progress! I'm using Yarmando's pattern for the Mash-Up socks. They are toe-up - a first for me - and I'm doing them with the magic loop method, as you can see by the SIP. I'm also making the instep and cuff parts a little bit lacy with a pattern called Anastasia Socks, but I can't find a proper link at this point. I know I got it off the internet, but the link on the pattern doesn't work this evening. I got the yarn at Knitter's Connection, and I am enjoying working with it. It's from Yarn Love, in Fuschia and Spring Morning.

Socks!

This truly is the summer of socks! Here is a pair my good friend Yarmando made for me - aren't they delicious? They're Cider Moon, the color is "Hotflash" (perfect, eh?) and they have spirals! Woohoo! And I think they look great with my purple pants, don't you?

These are the new socks I've cast on (twice) this week. I'm using Yarmando's Mash-Up Sock pattern, but I'm adding some almost-lace patterning in the instep and up the cuff. This yarn is Yarn Love, and I forget the color names.

WIP and HB to Me!

My first pair of socks completed for Summer of Socks! Love them! They're too big for me, though - gift time!

My shawl - Lorna's Laces Childsplay. Lovely!

Plastic bags, cut into strips, knit up nicely on #17 circular - will someday be a swim bag or something. Interesting, huh?


Yup - another birthday come and gone. First photo is "reality style" self portrait with hubby.

And a pic of the group who dined w/me: sis and her hubby, Dave, Rick, my hubby. Si was not feeling up to going out. :(