How Blogging and Knitting Can Save the Day

Today was a difficult day... it was challenging, emotional, and draining. But I don't want to get into all that... because today I realized how being a knitter and blogger has made me a much more positive and resilient person. Really!

First of all, an unexpected friend in need landed DH & me at the Ritz Carlton in Marina Del Rey where, despite the circumstances, I was quick to recognize a photo opportunity.

Yeah, I know, his head is chopped off, but it's better than my other attempts.

And, I was sharp enough to jot down the address of A Mano Yarn in Venice before I left... just in case. As it turned out, when I was leaving (much later in the day than I expected) and typed the address in my Tom Tom, the shop was a mere 2 miles away!

A Mano was great... the people were very friendly and they had a great variety of yarns including ones I don't see much out here like Lorna's Laces, Socks that Rock, Blue Heron and Koigu. I chose the Koigu.

And I felt that my efforts had been well rewarded.

I was trying to capture the true color but couldn't quite get it. It's a beautiful bright spring green and I love it! It's designated for some Embossed Leaves sock as soon as my new IK sock book gets here. (You know, because I knit so many socks.)

So, instead of being miserable and wiped out... I'm only wiped out. A difficult day was saved by a bit of time with my DH on the marina and some new yarn. What a save!

Bonita Progress and "Lost"

I haven't had much time to knit so I'm surprised at how fast Bonita seems to be going... especially considering the time I've spent with fixes.

See the mess up in the lace...



Cringe... these fixes stress me out...


But overall, I'm loving it. It feels great too. It's going to be a nice lightweight summer top.

By the way, do any of you watch Lost? They were starting to lose my interest last season but the twists and turns of late have me hooked again. What about John Locke's father?!? What do you think?

Actual Knitting Content

Back to Bonita... Crochet hook in hand, I began the crochet provisional cast-on. If you've ever done a crochet provisional cast-on of 222 stitches on size 2 needles then the rest of this post probably won't interest you. But it was new to me and took soooo much time that I just have to document it...

Let's start with the fact that I only have a vague idea of how to do a crochet chain. Out comes my Knitter's Companion and the crocheting begins...

I then had to pick up 222 stitches with my working yarn from these little bumps on the back side of the chain. Okay... I think... I would've taken a picture but I was so bug-eyed from pulling skinny cream cotton through a multi-colored crochet chain that it slipped my mind.

Then, after counting... and re-counting, I joined to - oh yeah more re-counting - knit in the round. It was at this point that I realized that I had one stitch too many so I neatly pulled one stitch off of what was apparently the wrong end because it started to unravel. There was no backing down on this one... it's not like I could just do the 2 hours of casting on again. So squinting under the Ott-Lite (did I mention my vision is rapidly deteriorating in my left eye making such tasks almost impossible) I managed to secure the end and knit.

So, 3+ hours after I had begun and being very careful "not to twist" when I joined, I had this...

Is it twisted? I don't think so but really, how could I know for sure?

Today... first chance I get after school work, I'm back to the task. I knit several rounds on the size 2s... looking good, no twist, a little reading. (BTW - I really like this yarn. I'm using the recommended Garnstudio Safran. Very smooth and easy on the hand for 100% cotton.)

Finally, I get to switch to size 4s, but now it gets scary. I have to remove the waste yarn and place the live stitches all 222 on another needle.

Now, I join the two for the hem...

I was fascinated by this whole process and couldn't put it down.

Tonight I got a chance to work some more...

Check out this hem. I love this hem.

Wrong side...

Right side...

Love. It.

I love the feel of it, the weight of it, the look of it...

It was tedious, painful, frightening, and way too time consuming, yet awesome in final form. Worth it? I'm not sure yet... but I'm telling you, I will never frog this hem. If the rest of the shirt doesn't work - but of course it must, it will! But if it doesn't, I will tear out the rest and forget it forever, but this hem... this hem I will hang on my wall as a work of art in it's own right!

Starting Bonita

After a successful trip to the LYS to help one of my new-knitter friends select yarn for the Mason-Dixon Nina Shawl, I popped a big frozen pasta casserole in the oven and decided to cast on for Bonita.


"With MC, crochet hook, waste yarn, and yada, yada, yada, use the provisional method to CO 222 sts." Wow, that's a lot of stitches... okay... crochet hook. I have at least three... where did they go? After checking all the usual places, I start digging in my knitting basket.


Let's see...


Labels from all the yarn I've used in the last, oh, who knows.






A missing tape measure, stitch markers and swatches (or, as I like to call them, evidence).






Pink yarn ready for February Valentine's Day socks (oops) and forgotten fingerless mitts that I could've totally used yesterday at baseball.





Oh boy! I'm not sure which I'm more pleased to find here...







But look! I could quite possibly take on the yarn with these Power Ranger weapons. Good find.










Aha! Finally... one of the three...



BEEP! Dinner's ready.


What's in your knitting basket??

Almost Perfect.

Ahhh... 3 hours at the local roller dome! This used to mean 3 hours of knitting while the big boys skated and JoJo climbed around the bleachers, painted in the craft room and indulged in the many snacks. This time, without his best bud KayKay to hang with, it meant 3 hours of tugging roller skates on and off JoJo and dragging him around the room. Eventually I realized that he had given up on trying to skate and had settled for flopping to the ground so I would catch him. Unfortunately by the time I figured this out, he had already gotten the best of my time... and my back.

Actually, this would've made a really cute picture but since I never got to open my knitting bag, well, the camera never made it out. But I do have these to show you...

The perfect buttons for Flair:

The perfect yarn for Tuscany... possibly... I only bought one ball to swatch but it is a cotton/silk blend that I can really imagine wrapping myself up in. (I would really love to knit this in a deep red but since that would drastically limit my Old Navy t-shirt options, I figure I should stick to a more practical brown.)

And Garnstudio Safran for the perfect summer top... Bonita from the Summer 2006 issue of Interweave Knits:

I have wanted to knit this top for almost a whole year... can you even believe my restraint?!? I would love to challenge Lynda to a race since she just started hers but I don't like to lose... and Lynda actually finishes the things she starts in a respectable amount of time.

Food for thought... If you buy new yarn and cast on within a week, it's technically not stash. Therefore, you are not stashing yarn, just simply ignoring the stash that you have which is clearly a much lesser offense than shamefully splurging on unnecessary new yarn. If it's on the needles, clearly you needed it.

What Do Non-Knitters Think?

I realized this morning as I was sitting in a doctor's waiting room in my sweats, surrounded by more professional looking types, that there is no way to look professional or intellectual (sweats aside) while knitting the toe of a sock.

I know this shouldn't matter to me... and deep down inside, I don't want to give a hoot what anyone else is thinking. But I have always been considered more of a serious, intellectual type. Now I don't want you to confuse this term "intellectual" with intelligence or smarts, think more along the lines of, well, boring. I'm much more likely to discuss politics, religion or the fall of the Roman Empire than the niceties of life like weather, how to prune rose bushes, or where to get the best deal on linens... mainly because I not only don't know, but don't care. Which would really make the only distinction between what I do and don't discuss my level of interest... not my level of knowledge.

I realize that to a non-knitter, the thought of knitting a sock is pretty insane. Heck, I thought it was insane my whole first year of knitting... until I started buying sock yarn and wearing colorful handknit socks (and buying more sock yarn). Then I got it. But I want to not care that those around me think I'm weird. People thinking I'm a bit nuts I can deal with... they pretty much figure that out when they hear I have 5 boys... but there's a big difference between being a bit nuts and doing something that others consider weird.

Another observation... non-knitters really don't get the shawl/shawlette thing at all. Not at all. I know because of the blank stares I get when somebody asks me about Clementine. "That's nice... what are you making?" Me, stammering and stuttering, as I quickly realize there is no easy or acceptable answer: "Well it's a little shawl... a shawlette... like a shoulder wrap." And being one who is prone to stammer on, I'll add: "Kind of like a wide scarf... when I finish and block it, it will stretch and flatten out and be very lacy and pretty and I can wear it with a dress or a tank and it'll be great and keep my shoulders warm... and... and... it's Alpaca and Silk... yes, silk!" If I'm lucky, at some point the blank face changes shape enough to say "Oh."

"Oh" is right. I need to hang out with more knitters. But truth be told... I have much more interest in knitting a shawlette than actually wearing one and I'm aware that the whole shawl thingy is an area of much debate among knitters themselves so I guess hoping for understanding in the outside world is a bit unrealistic.

Anyway, all the baseball and doctor visits have yielded one finished Jaywalker (modelled with style by my pal Andee) and a completed pair of summery socks from Kaity's Self-Striping yarn. Also, I found an LYS with a great button selection which has motivated me to finish Flair asap as well. Yes, I'm needing some closure.

BTW - I've been knitting my socks with the magic loop method which I absolutely love. No gaps, no dropped/lost needles, and I can try them on whenever. Very fun.

Yep - Baseball has Started

I want my boys to always know how much I love them... I want them to know that I will be there to support and encourage them in their endeavors... and if I ever seem less enthusiastic than I should, I apologize right now because it's not them. No, it's me and it's baseball... I really can't stand baseball. Period.

I have never been a big fan to begin with. I have always thought that 6 innings was plenty, pro pitchers should have a 30 second rule on releasing each pitch and beer should be cheaper. I really didn't think anything could be worse... but now I'm forced to endure 6 inning games that last for hours while eating soggy nachos from a snack shack that doesn't even sell beer. And I'm sorry, but unless my boy is at bat or fielding the ball, I'm just bored. There. I said it. I love my boys... I just can't stand baseball.

We had 2 games tonight (of the six total we will have between now and Saturday). Hubby was coaching the big boys so I went to the 9-10 yo game... which was, of course, at a different park. The snack shackless park... the parkless park... as usual. But hey, at least there was a ball for Dan the Man to kick around plus some dirt and a stick for JoJo. (Not to self: Remember the Game Boy next time.)

And look... if I squinted really hard I could see the Wy Guy waaaayyy out there. No not that kid... the one squatting behind him.

Yeah, way out there in right field. And just for the record, the kid is a stud, they would never have gotten creamed like they did if the coach had kept him at Shortstop. Just saying.

Of course, I had my socks with me... which only made me think about the STR yarn I had at home which would've matched my green tee and brown sweats so much better.

Oh, and while I'm on the subject, I also need my boys to understand that I really can watch them play ball and knit at the same time... really.