I've got some knitting to show you!

Well, I finally decided what to knit on Friday night - a bit of everything! I did finish my Purple Breeze socks and I am really quite pleased with them. I really did enjoy using Maizy. It's very soft, almost silky to the touch and I had none of the "splitty" problems that I'd read others complaining about. I think maybe the company improved their product or I just lucked out. Either or, I was happy with it. And remembering that I'd purchased it on sale for under $5.00 made me even more happy about it. So here are my newest socks:

Purdy aren't they?

There is just one little thing that I should warn you about with Maizy. Remember how I just said a moment ago that the yarn felt almost silky to the touch? As it turns out, along with that silky feel comes a side effect that is not as desirable. These socks are SLIPPERY! And considering I have almost exclusively wood floors throughout most of my house, you can draw your own conclusions on that matter. But, yes, I'll be fine. My back will re-align itself soon I'm sure after contorting the way it did the other day as I tried to right myself before I managed to hit the floor. Thank you for asking.

So once the Breeze had blown through I decided to start in on the sleeves of (BF)G's sweater again. Determined not to have tangles in the yarn, I have now devised a very complex system of flipping over the ball of yarn each time I switch sleeves. So far it is working and I am feeling very self-congratulatory about it all. Alright. I know I shouldn't be. Pride goes before a fall (one might say I've already had that problem this week, so let's just not go there!) I also know that being so busy patting myself on the back for the lack of tangles as of late is just tempting fate, but hey! I'll take it while the going's good with these sleeves. So here's where I got to on them.

Not bad eh?

Now. Not to be crazy about starting new projects or anything, but really with Breeze done, and the sleeves being too big and cumbersome for my purse, I needed another small on-the-go project. I chose to start a new little project for my wee neice, Oona, who I introduced you to a couple of weeks ago. I figure I'd better get cracking on this sweater soon, or I'll procrastinate so long that she'll be graduating highschool before I ever get it made. So far I'm loving the Sirdar Snuggly DK I'm using. I've never met such a soft, cuddly acrylic. This may become my "go to" baby yarn from here on out. The pattern is quick and easy too, so I'm hopeful I will get this one done in no time!

Really - this yarn is as buttery soft as it looks!

I am a silly and fickle girl!

Last week I posted that I was relegating my Purple Breeze socks to the hibernating category. I had ignored them so long I wanted to free myself from the guilt of it all. But, that was last week...

I did really well, focusing solely on the Cambridge Jacket for (BF)G - getting lots done on it. All that's left is the rest of the sleeves and the coller and of course sewing in a zipper, that although I am a trained seamstress, makes my blood run cold. Don't know why that is. Sewing zippers in stresses me out no matter what kind they are, but separating zippers on a hand knit frighten me even more. I know. I am a freak. What can I say.

Speaking of sleeves, because I like to cause myself major hassles and headaches, or, as I prefer to call it, give myself a challenge, I decided to do both sleeves at the same time. Now that's not too crazy, right? Where's the challenge in that you ask. Well, gather 'round and I tell you why it is messing with my poor brain. You see, I am already challenged by trying to remember which sleeve I've just finished working on and keeping them both even. I ended up giving up on the process a few months back on my Gathered Pullover because of the ridiculousness of it all. I would silently congratulate myself for the fact all my increases would be at the exact same point on both sleeves when I realized that one sleeve was now two inches longer than the other. Sometimes I am clueless!

Not wanting to fall prey to that particular headache this time, I devised a system of stitch markers that cannot possibly lead me astray. (So far so good). This project's challenge is actually born of the fact that I thought it a wise idea to use one ball of yarn. Take one end from the outside for one sleeve and one from the inside for the other. That way I'd be carting around less bulk, and wouldn't end up with multiple half used balls of yarn in the end. Oh yes, I could rationalize it every which way 'till Sunday.

So far in practice it's not been too taxing really except for the fact that I keep managing to tangle the strands to the point of no knitting, then have to spend precious knitting time untangling the mess I've just created. But I am determined to show this particular ball of yarn who's boss in this relationship. I will win. It may kill me. But I will do it.

Oh, but I digress. I started to tell you about the Purple Breeze. The supposedly hibernating Purple Breeze. Once I acknowledged the blasted things as actually hibernating, I could not stop thinking about them. It could also be that I'm using Maizy yarn, which is made from corn and I drive past about 45 minutes worth of corn fields on my way to and from work each day. The corn fields actually were taunting me I think - that or it's possible that I am truly losing my mind. Not sure which. Anyways, suffice it to say, the other night Purple Breeze came off the hibernating list and back into the WIP list. They're coming along swimmingly. (and no tangled yarn, so that's always a bonus!)

Now I just have to decide which project to focus on tonight when I host my very own "knitting night party for one" in which I plan to park myself on the couch after supper, pop in a movie (still no TV in the house. grrrr.) and knit to my heart's content. Hopefully I can make it past 9pm this week!

A new place and some new knitting

It's certainly been a busy few weeks for our family! Of course as I mentioned, we moved into our new home. It was a hectic day and luckily the worst of the weather held off until we'd managed to get everything inside the house. Of course then the skies parted and it rained cats and dogs! I'm loving being out of the city and it's chaos. There's something so calming and wonderful about coming home to what I'm dubbing the homestead. It's quiet and peaceful. Perhaps as my Mom says, I'm returning to my roots. (My early years were spent on 80 acres of land east of Winnipeg).

I am a country girl through and through. I even had fun driving the garden tractor last night - although (BF)G mocked me, saying that I was looking a little too prim and proper on it, as though I was trying to be very regal. I wasn't. I was just a little nervous at first.

We still don't have the internet hooked up at home - turns out I need to get a modem - what gave me the idea a MAC had an internal modem I'll never know, but if it does it's well in hiding and I can't seem to find it, so maybe this weekend I'll go get me a modem. I'm still hoping to find a highspeed provider though. We also don't have any TV yet, so evenings that should be spent unpacking boxes have instead become time to watch all the DVDs that I never got a chance to watch before.

Of course along with DVD watching goes knitting! I've given up on the second "Breeze" sock for now. It languished so long in my bag that I figured I'd just relegate it to the "hibernating" category for awhile so that I don't need to feel guilt over neglecting it. Same goes for my Clementine Shawlette. I'm half done, but haven't even cast on for the second half. Can one suffer from second half syndrome just like second sock syndrome?

What I have been knitting is (BF)G's Cambridge Jacket. I love this pattern and it's been going fairly fast considering I only started it on Aug. 20th and then had to leave it alone for about five days whilst I finished packing/cleaning/moving. I did take a picture of it in my favourite knitting spot here at work. It was towards the end of August and a beautiful sunshine-y day. Now I have the back, the left front and most of the right front done. I really do want to have it finished by the start of the cool weather!

I also am anxious to start knitting something for my new baby neice! She's a sweetie and will suit the pattern and yarn I chose before she was born quite nicely (I must have known on some level that she'd be a girl - well more likely I just lucked out - after all... had a 50/50 chance didn't I?!?!). Can't post too many details here as her mommy sometimes visits the blog and although she knows some of the details, I don't want to give it all away yet! I also have a fantabulous second project idea in mind for little miss. (Maybe for Christmas - although given my procrastination it could become a gift for her second birthday - in similar fashion that her big brother's Raggedy Andy that was to be his baby gift became his 2nd year birthday gift too.)

I will be back...

Just thought I should put out a quick post to say I'm still here... I know it's been a long time since my last posting again, but we moved last week and between moving chaos and no internet at home as of yet, I'm stuck with just saying a quick hello here from work.

I hope to have internet up and running again really soon... although it'll be dial up. Still better than nothing. I hate feeling out of touch plus I've got lots done on (BF)G's cambridge jacket and I want to show it off!

So until then happy knitting and hope to see you again soon!