Craptina

It's a duster!

Congrats to Steph for guessing right on the first comment! She'll get some use out of this handy item (pun intended). Pete and Joey here had a great time trying the duster out, which was a big help around the house.....

Before I get into all the knitting that's been going on, I want to apologize to all my fellow bloggers out there; I haven't been able to keep up with commenting at all lately. Several weeks ago our paper buyer gave notice and yours truly has been helping to cover ever since. It's a lot more responsibility and therefore more time and focus. I have no time to read blogs on my lunch break and often when I come home I can't even think about looking at the computer. So if anyone knows someone who buys paper for publishing houses, please drop me a line, I'm drowning over here! Send good-for-hire vibes to my bosses, plesase! So know that I do read through your blogs and am doing my best to keep up. I may not be commenting but I'm listening :)

What's the best cure for stress? A little yarn therapy! There's been a LOT of knitting going on, so lets start with an FO...

My First pair of tow up socks!
Yarn:Brooklyn Handspun, in Jungle Canopy
Needles: No.2 DPNs
Pattern: On Your Toes Socks,  from the Summer 07 IK
Designer: Ann Bud
Mods: Aside from the short row heel (which I am finally beginning to memorize) I felt this pattern was a breeze. So much so, that I quickly cast on for the second sock and didn't bother to look and the first one OR the pattern and see that it was supossed to be a double rib instead of a single......doh! Oh well, I guess these will be around-the-house socks, at least they are the same colorway.

Also from the Summer 07 IK is the                                       Sleeveless Tuxedo Shirt from Theresa Schabes. I've been rocking out on this baby for about three weeks, I just finished the last sleeve strap this evening, and am ready to block and start finishing!

I promise there are armholes on it, they are just curling up the sides:) The yarn I'm using is kind of a mystery . Someone gave me a bag of yarn a few years ago and this cotton was in it. I'm not exactly sure how much there is, but it looked like it was probably enough for a tank top, so I cast on for this the minute I got the magazine in the mail.

Lest anyone forget Glee is still alive and I have a progress shot!

I'm still working on those sleeves, and the finish line is in sight.This is very good because I only have one ball of Rowan Calmer left. Ann let me use her kitchen scale to weigh out the last ball, so I'll have enough to make those sleeves. I figure, once I get to the end of the yarn that's it! I hope I can at least get a few rows of ribbing in to keep it from rolling. Maybe this time I'll remember to check if it's single or double rib.

Lastly, I shall leave you with the two cutest Sunday afternoon nappers.....

I feel like a doctor

Before I go into the long haul of blogging that is overdue, let's start with some pics from the big Morocco trip, which I'm sure you all are waiting for.....

If you'd like to see the whole she-bang, click here.   While on holiday, I was able to put the finishing touches on these babies:

I am in fact, another Jaywalker lover :)
Yarn: two hanks of Claudia's Handpainted sock yarn
Mods: drop that heel flap, baby! I'm going short-row!!!
For: Moi.

Morocco was terrific. There was adventure, mystery, confusion, language barriers, the whole nine. I would go back in a minute, even if only to practice more of my high school French skills that were generously challenged. The food wasn't as good as I had hoped, and I recently learned that Moroccan's feel that restaurants are a waste of money, and the best food is found in mom's kitchen. Unfortunately, the only Moroccan we befriended was far from his own home, so we didn't get a taste of the real goods. I did however, purchase some spices and a tagine for myself, and lugged it all the way back home. I've made four different dishes with it so far, all of which have been winners, so our apartment has been smelling very nice.

Just after getting back I was shipped out to Fairfield, PA to a seminar and tour of a paper mill and a book manufacturing plant. For work, of course. I brought my camera but unfortuantly we were not allowed to take pictures of the process, but it was a very interesting to learn;  paper is basically made from 90% water, and 10% soaked tree plup. I also got to tour a paperback and hardcover manufacturing plant. It was really cool to see the machines that put books together. It was better than watching Mr. Rodgers visiting the crayon factory. Immediately after returning from that my Mom and niece came to NYC for a visit for a few days. It's been pretty busy since I got back.

I did however, manage to make a serisous dent on the Pink Tea Raglan, which I'm not showing any pictures of yet. Not that I won't share, I just don't find miles of moss stitch thrilling. I do however have some photos of Glee. It's soley this pattern that makes me feel like a doctor. See, when I cast on for this top,I was fully aware that my stitch gauge was on the money, but my row gauge was a little off. Keeping this in mind, I cast on for the smaller size, hoping to compensate. And while knitting I kept checking and measuring, and all was going to plan until I actually tried the damn thing on. The shoulders were waaaaay to wide. Now, this is would be fine if it were 1986, but I wasn't about to rip back all of my work- it's a top-down shirt, that'd be going back and redoing alllll that stockinette.  No, I decided I'd plunge ahead and finish the body, and then go back and pull out the sleeves only. Check out this photo, paying attention to the armhole on the left side.

See all that yarn just, uh, hanging there? I think the work needed to save this project deserves a medical degree. Because one couldn't just rip back- the sleeve stitches are worked in the round! So I ripped back as far as I needed to go, where my arm wasn't swimming in the material. Then I picked up the live stitches and alternatively cut one strand at a time, knitting it into the round of the live sleeve to the other end, weave in the end, cut a stand on the opposite end, work that into the sleeve round, weave in that end and around and around back and forth, until  it was too far to go back and pick up. By this time there were about 12 or so strands left, so I wove in the ends. Sounds like a feat, yes? It was knitting surgery.
Here's a photo of the wrong side post-surgery:

The right side is looking pretty good, and a picture will be forthcoming upon completion. I doubt that anyone who didn't know about these hideous strands wouldn't ever be able to tell they are there. It's totally embarrasing to me that I made this mistake, but at the same time, I impressed myself by taking a risk to fix it.  My task for this week is to finish the neck and then tackle the left shoulder the same as the right. I hope it goes just as smoothly.

Shipping Off in Style

Last week Prink and I made these........


With inspiration from Jess we made a whole shebang of these cute bags. However, Prink is such a super sewer, we didn't look at the tutorial except to oogle over her cute prints. Definitely a good guide, if you're interested in making one of these guys yourself.

Next week this gal and some friends are off on a big vacation, so projects bags were required.  Marie , Big A, Joe and I are of to Morocco! We'll be there for 11 days to experience some culture, weird food, and some possible desert camping. Jess has been a big help with guidence and advice since she was there just a few months ago. Check out her picture gallery, it's pretty cool.

I've got some jaywalkers on the needles for trip, and that should hold me for awhile. In other knitting news, I've cast on for Glee and I'm in Stockinette Hell. I'm currently up to 324 sts, and I'm increasing every RS row until there are 384. (!@$!@#^) Then I can get psyched to work in the eternal round of never ending stitches. Ugh. This project is going to take awhile, but the end results look worth it. Check out how cute Carrie looks....

Oh, and I finished the front side of the Pink Tea Raglan. No photo to share for a blob of pink seed stitch. I fear that the projects I have chosen are much too repetitve. Something should be done about that. Casting on for the Dollar and a Half cardigan is a must upon returning from vacation.

So I'll leave you with these photos before my departure, since I love my cats so much and they crack me up all the time. 

I swear there was water in the water dish...but I bet this was more tasty.....

                                                                                       

No....this is the best way to get a drink!

Whatever initially interested her in the drawer wanted her to stay....
















                                                                                                REALLY STAY.....