Friday, September 29

I'm such a lazy sod. I didn't go to knitting. Instead I played Civ 4
(Warlords) all night. Didn't even knit. Went to bed by 8:30, only watched part of Grey's, which is a good thing.

We went to the store last night. I did pick up some yarn for a friend's christmas present, but I forgot to get more for the baby sweater. I'm so with it at times. Won't make it to class tonight. We're celebrating Grilltech's birthday. Plan on having some fun. He's talking about smoking a pork shoulder, starting on Saturday night. I say, starting, it's going to take at least 15 to 18 hours to cook. Hmmm pulled pork...

Thursday, September 28

Made it to Karate last night. Once again I'm just feeling beat. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks, I won't feel as wiped out. I really do enjoy learning the kata's. I guess I like the idea of knowing karate, but working for it, is another story. I'm starting to be able to pick out names of moves when the elders are doing their kata's.

I didn't bring my sweater today. I just wear it into work then I have to drag it home. I figured, I'm good. Right now I'm just cold. Or whiny, take your pick. I went and stole Grilltech's jacket, then he started complaining he was cold. How funny.

Pretty close to finishing the second sleeve, only have two more inches to go. (Two more inches, and he would have been a keeper... Ha!) Then it's time to cast on 100 for the body. Finished the sleeve. Now it's time. Now I'm worried I don't have enough of this left over yellow to finish the body. It's a never ending loop isn't it?

I'm in a quandry. Tonight is knitting/coffee night. I go be social with friends and knit. Tonight is Grey's Atanomoy, which I just adore. Of course, I do own a VCR, so I should go do coffee.

Tuesday, September 26

Happy Birthday, Grilltech! Hope you're enjoying your day off!

On with the posting:

Tuesday is just barely on the good side of bad. I woke up at 3 AM, slept fitfully until the alarm went off. Had the white wonder (Fran) trying to sleep on my pillow, my side, then finally at Grilltech's feet. I could not get going. Left late for work, made it barely on time. Database crashed while running a report. Yadda, yadda, yadda.... Second crash of the day.

I'm all sorts of sore from class last night. I made it all the way through class. I fell into bed and Grilltech was sweet enough to give me a back rub, before I passed out. It's time to start seriously
working out, even on the days of class.

Anyway, I've ripped out the sleeve I started yesterday. I was using size three needles and it was just *way* too small. I've started again, this time using size six. I kinda do like the Magic Loop. The only thing I don't really care for is the fact the cable gets twisted. I tried using my Crystal Palace needles, which spin, but the cable is all loopy and I don't like that either.

Finished the first sleeve today. Busy casting on for the second one and writting the adventure for the gang. For some reason I'm not doing good at figuring out how to get the sleeve started. I'm starting to get tired - I can rationalize anything - so that might be the reason why I'm having such issues.

Monday, September 25

The MP3 player is dead, long live the Palm pilot. It seems the HD crashed on the MP3, it just sits and clicks. I might have mentioned something on Friday's post. Sunday I pulled out the player to see if anything could be done to fix it. Nope, it's dead. I can't seem to find the receipt which has the warranty information on it. So being nimble of thought I just transferred 700 megs of music onto the Palm. Right now, I'm enjoying my morning.

I practiced the magic loop method. I did manage to get though the ribbing and into several rounds of leg before I stopped. I think I'll need to pick up some Additurbos if I am going to continue in with that practice. It didn't seem any worse then fiddling with double points.

Grilltech's mom is such a great mother-in-law. (Note to self: send thank you e-mail.) She thrift store shops and finds all sorts of wonderful treasures. She sent a baggy full of used circulars in pretty good condition. There are all sorts of sizes. I was using the 3's to practice the ML method. These would be good, but the cord is stiff and I don't think there is anything I can do to make it supple. I'll still use them for sweaters and flat knitting.

I'm going to knit a baby sweater, trying to decide if I want to do it flat or in the round. Thinking about using Knitty article. Even if I don't knit in the round, it is a good rule of thumb. 110 is my 100%, 100 is my 90%, 22 is my 20%, 44 is my 40%, 50 is my 45% and 9 is my 8%. Sleeve should be 9" total. Ribbing for 15 stitches, increase to 40%, make two.

We got Fran the kitten another feather toy because she completely destroyed the last one we got her. I was unwrapping it and she knew what the toy was and was trying to get it. I gave it to Grilltech to tie to the fishing pole end. She was jumping on his lap to make the kill. When we went to bed, it was peacefully attached and on the back of the chair. Sometime during the night she had gotten it de-attached and drug it off to kill the poor thing.

September, Friday 22

With a freshly charged MP3 player in hand, along with copious amounts of caffine, I'm ready to face the day. Stayed up until 8:30 last night watching Grey's Anatomy. We had the VCR set, yes we live in the stone age. We have a VCR, not a DVR and go to bed before the sun sets. Anyway, by 9:00, I was dead to the world. Which was the time for ER, I don't think I could have kept my eyes open at all.

I spoke too soon. My MP3 player is dying. I turned it off to listen to messages, was trying to turn it back on and all I'm getting is the splash screen with clicky noises. AUGHHH!! Can't turn it off. Can't reset it. Just have to wait for the battery to die.

I'm now working on the Shaker Ribbing, here called the Brioche Stitch. I don't get why it's called something different. The Big Book of Knitting, calls it Shaker, so I, call it Shaker. Pretty simple. Now I want to figure out how to do it in two colors. Yes, it's at home in the Big Book, but I don't have it here with me.

This day is getting better and better. My new blue socks, worn maybe four times have a hole in them. Not at the heel or at the toes, but up in the leg. I showed my husband, who said, it looks like a dropped stitch. ( I'm so proud of him...) It might be, now I'll have to fix his bio-hazard socks to practice to fix my sock. Or should that be the other way around?

September, Thursday 21

I should have charged my MP3 player last night while I was charging my phone. But if I did that, then I would have left both the player and phone at home, instead of just the phone. I did manage to get about 6 minutes of music before it just shut itself off.

I finished the washcloth last night. Its tucked in the drawer ready for use. So now I have three balls of yarn: black, yellow, and off white (partials), size 6 straights, and measurements for a teddy bear who needs a sweater.

Well, on the plus side, I've taught myself how to double knit. Must say, it's easier then I had been making it out to be. On the down side, I'm not getting the desired effect I want. It should be simple: yellow knits with off white purls in the ribbing. Not hard at all, right? Then why am I having such a hard time with it? After a little research, turns out it is harder then I thought.

I'll just do the ribbing in yellow, then move to the snowflakes in off white. It should look adorable. Okay, so the off white is completely muted by the bright yellow. I've taken it part and started with the off white as the main color, with yellow snowflakes. I missed a stitch and ripped it all out. I think I'm going to going take it home and knit it in the round. I'll need to figure out a better design anyway.

Wednesday, September 20

I really hate it when I go to people's blogs and they haven't updated them. I understand life gets in the way and they don't have time to post. Since I’ve started my new job, my posting has been intermittent and I hate that. So I have to take the time to post.

I've finished a couple of the Graterlac washcloths. I gave the first one to my trainer. Did most of the knitting in her class. Figured, she earned it. I've made three more since then, I can do it from memory now. Which will help greatly when I do an interlac sweater for Grilltech. If I can figure out the colors, he likes dark greens. I'm thinking a cardigan would be nice. Also, not sure if I want to use acrylic or wool. We're both pretty lazy, so wool would bad.

The Dragon Scale scarf is coming along quite nicely. I'm about 50% done. The end of the month is coming up, I need to figure out the modified part for Grilltech’s socks. He thinks the YO's are too girly. (Read: he grunted something in my direction...) I can do a M1 instead, just need to sit down and try it. Instead I spend my time reading, not knitting, I'll get back into the swing of things. Anyway, I need to get it figured out in time for the Sock Hop at Romancing the Yarn blog.

Tuesday, September 12

I finished the sock a few days ago. I was really worried I wouldn't have enough yarn to finish the second sock. I started the second one and ran out about half way through the gusset. There is no way I'm going to go purchase more of t his yarn. So I started knitting from the first sock, figure I'll knit until both are at the same length and just use a different color. In this case a solid green.

Grilltech was annoyed because I said, "... and he just grunted in my direction." For the record, he really didn't just grunt at me. He did say something, but I couldn't remember what he said.

I'm in training, so I'm getting a quite a bit of knitting done. Half the time I don't understand what is being talked about. I end up asking one of my co-workers. Who does explain it to me using small words. Of course, it doesn’t help the trainer standing up bitching “they should only send people who are trained to the class.” Really makes me feel good.

I haven’t been going to karate, but I have been working out. Small trade off. I don’t think I can take another person telling me, I’m screwing up. No matter how nicely it’s put.

Friday, September 8th

I'm a good knitter. Fearless at times even. Cables? No problem. Lost my needle? Just figure out another way to do it. Adapt and over come, not just the motto of the Marines. Enterlac? Please, I've made a cute little baby hat. I know how to do to it. I'm a good little drone, I can follow directions. But for the life of me, I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong when it comes to the Garterlac Dishcloth. I finish the second square like the directions tell me to do so. Then there is no where to pick up stitches.

Okay, so pictures do help. I picked up stitches along the end of the triangle. It worked, go figure. Don't know why my mind wouldn’t see what was going to what happen. I've got it figured out and am knitting along quite merrily. I'm about two rows away from being done.

Monday that wasn't, September 5

It's just been one of those days. 'enuff said.

Finished the first sock. Pulled out the skein, and I don't have enough to finish. ACK!! I'll have to do a quick search to see if I can find another skein. (I bought it for half price, turns out to have a crappy dye job and now I'm going to have to pay full price for the freakin' thing.) Figured one skein makes one sock. I'm making anklets, I should be able to get two out it. I just might be over reacting, but I don't have a scale to weight it to see if I have enough to even bother starting on the second one.

We watched The Lost Worlds of... Dracula, last night. They had interviewed several of the locals. A woman was hand winding a ball of yarn from a swift. I thought it was so neat. I even pointed it out to Grilltech, who looked up long enough to grunt something in my general direction. Guess he wasn't as impressed as I was.

I’m about 40% done with one of the men’s scarves. Ended up doing a simple basket weave, because it didn’t annoy me while trying to figure out which stitch to use.