Stupid Sock Pattern

My sock saga class continues...........

After working on my sock.....I finally get to the rib of the cuff.....but wait......I notice there's a mistake in the pattern.....(count the 3 in total, now). So I have to waste my time......email the instructor.....and wait.....

And Wait....


And Wait....

When......*ding* my email alert goes off!


I receive a response that says "I made another mistake, I hope you can move forward"

What? Move forward? This sock shouldn't be that difficult! If you're the instructor and it's your pattern.....don't you double and triple check it? When a friend of mine wrote her first pattern she had about 5 of us knit it BEFORE she published it.

Enough complaining.......I wrote the corrections and finished it. Phew! I'll try to get some pics of it soon! Happy Knitting!

Terrible.....terrible.....blogger!

Slap my hands......take my knitting needles away.........whip me with a tape measure.....but please be gentle! It's been too long since I've blogged......I know!

With my new job and working fulltime....I think I finally can get back to my blog. In my spare time I've been knitting like a fiend. I just finished my second Lady Eleanor Stole and I love it! I'm now working on a pair of toe-up socks that I took a class to learn.....Now let me tell you about the class...

When you sign up for a knitting class, you expect that the teacher is at least an "intermediate" knitter. Someone who will be able to answer your questions and actually have an understanding of patterns, how they work etc; This was not the case!

I took this class with a couple of friends of mine.....first the instructor (and I use that term quite loosely) didn't have the pattern ready when we arrived so we had to wait for her to copy it. Shouldn't all materials be ready BEFORE we arrive?

As we sit down, she explains that she just started knitting a few months ago and the owner of the knitting store thought she could teach a class! We all looked at each other with surprise because between the 3 of us we had about 15 years of knitting.

The class begins and we are having trough with the cast-on.....she explains that she doesn't have her socks to show us, so she grabs a pair of circulars and tries to show us. Instead of coming up to each of us.....she stood at the end of a table and held it up in the air! Wouldn't it have been easier to show us on big needles with big yarn? When I figured it out.....I went to each person in the class and showed them.

Then there was the pattern......I was coming up with a different number of stitches than the pattern stated.....then someone else was, then someone else. Finally, she looks at the pattern and said "Oops! This second page is the wrong one!" What the heck! Needless to say, I won't be taking a class from her!

My knitting group is still going strong......we have lost one of our members to cancer. But we were happy to hear that we made her final months filled with love and knitting......it brought her much peace.

With that said.......I hope you all forgive me in the blogging world. I promise it won't happen again! Happy Knitting!

I got me a job!

After 15 years of staying home with my children.....I have decided that it's time to go back to work fulltime! I cried the first week.....sad because I realized my boys were growing up so fast! However, by the next week I was fine! The women I work closely with are the ultimate crafters......they knit and quilt! So we have a lot in common! But this "work" thing really cuts into my knitting time! But like my husband said.........it gives you more money to spend on yarn! Whoo! Whoo!

Currently, I'm working on the Lady Eleanor Stole from Shawl Style. I thought this was going to be very difficult....but I was wrong! I love working on it and have already decided that I may have to make two! I'm making it with Noro Silk Garden on 10 1/2 needles...colorway #249. It has light pink, dark blue, browns, grays, and a touch of green. The color is fabulous! I was inspired by my friend Nancy and her stole. She made it her own by adding beads at the bottom of the fringe. It looks gorgeous!

I also just received my flyer for Stitches and I can't wait! I think I might take a beaded envelope purse class and then hang out with the fellow knitters in the evening! Take note Kris......call me! Well, it's time to get back to work..................Happy Knitting!

My.....How Fetching!

I'm on a roll......two posts in one month! This is a pic of "fetching" that I made. I can't believe how many out there have made this! It was very easy.....I adjusted the pattern a bit and it only takes a weekend to make a pair. I love working with Debbie Cliss Cashmerino Aran yarn. It's very, very soft and is great to work with. I've already made 3 sets for Xmas 2007! (it's a crappy picture, but you get the idea) I refuse to get caught short this year with knitting deadlines. My goal is to have all my knitted Xmas presents done by March! Now we just have to wait and see if that happens.......

Currently, I also have on my needles the Mrs. Beeton wrist ruffles form Knitty. I had never done knitting with beads......what a pain. That pattern had to be adjusted as well, because I had a "ladder" forming with the purl stitches. I told a few people from my Thursday night group....."Don't tell me to rip it out!" Well, guess what? I ripped the darn thing out and started over. Instead of starting with a purl stitch I now started with a knit. Much, much, better! I have one ruffle done and hopefully will start working on the 2nd once soon. Phew!

This week my eldest needs to study for exams next week. I'll be getting lots and lots of knitting done, because all of his friends are going to study here and I'm on watch to make sure they actually study.....no screwing around on my watch! I made some cookies today that will go well with all the science they need to go over.

Someone told me that the Stitch N'Pitch is up and running with the Milwaukee Brewer's hosting on Sept. 16th. It's about time they jumped on board! If you remember last time they dropped the ball and didn't participate through the TNNA website. I've already marked it in my calendar and can't wait. At least at Miller Park you don't have to work about weather, because we have that lovely roof! Not that I'm complaining about the weather......it finally snowed today....about 4 inches, which isn't bad considering the last time it snowed was on Dec. 1st.

This afternoon I'm going to treat myself to some knitting.....seeing that I was on my hands and knees in the boys' bathroom, with a tootbrush, cleaning the grout in the floor tile. Not one of my favorite jobs to do......just glad that I did it!

Christmas is over! Yeah!

Christmas is finally over and now I can sit back and relax! Things have been crazy here since October with family situations, medical situations and just "situations" in general. However, I can say that everyone is on their way to recovery, whether it's emotional or medical and hopefully this new year will be better than "06!

I finished a pair of hunting socks that my neighbor Jeff loved! Too bad I didn't get them done in time for hunting this year......oops! I made a pair of wool socks for my sis-in-law Joan, which she loved as well......I hope she remembers not to put them in the washing machine! I did have some time to celebrate this year as well.

I knit with a group of wonderful women each Thursday evening. I don't know what I would do without them.......we make each other laugh and have been there for each other during difficult times. One of the best times is when Rose Ann turned 60! We call ourselves the "Yarnivore's", because we are like carnivore's when it comes to yarn! She was so surprised! When I walked in with the cake she said "Oh! I love cake! Who's birthday is it?" It wasn't until I put the cake in front of her that she figured out it was for her. Don't you love the cake?

On the knitting homefront, I'm currently making "Fetching" from knitty. I love them! I already made a pair and working on a second pair. I adjusted the pattern a bit. I didn't think they were long enough so I added another cable and 4x1 rib repeat on the hand portion, before the bind-off. Also, I thought the picot edge would curl so I did a regular old bind off! I used 1 full skein and a little bit of another ball of the Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran. Three skeins would give you 2 pair. This yarn is so soft and yummy! I'm making these as gifts for Xmas NEXT year! That's right......NEXT year!

My next project is the cable purse from classic elite. Those kinds of purses are so hot now! I see them everywhere in the mall stores. I KNOW that mine will look better than those store bought ones.

I hope that everyone has a wonderful new year and has the opportunity to knit everyday!

Give me a break!

I'm a terrible blogger........I've been so busy with the kids back in school, me back at work, sports for the boys, medical scare (everythings fine!) .....yada, yada, yada. Have I had time to knit? Heck ya! It seems that all my sons' friends want winter hats, after they saw the london beanie I made my eldest. Very mindless knitting, but it keeps me out of the refrigerator!

I've taken a class in Fair Isle knitting and completed my first hat! I would normally have a picture to show, but it's very cold today so my husband wore it to work. I think that's the best compliment you can give a knitter is when you wear something they make you.

Currently, I'm making my neighbor some hunting socks.......he leaves tomorrow......so it looks like he'll be able to wear them next year. Honestly, he didn't give me a lot of time! I've been feverishly working on them, that I ended up getting a cramp in my hand! Do ya think I can get worker's comp for that! Ha!

With only 39 more shopping days until Xmas, I decided that I needed to get some things done. I baked 3 batches of cookies and completed all my Xmas cards! To make it easy on myself I just downloaded pics from my camera to www.kodakgallery.com, picked a design, an envelope color, a little saying and "poof" I'm done! Now I don't have to worry about that stuff and instead can sit calmly back and knit on those cold, cold, wisconsin nights.

I've also had some guidance on making the new pocket scarf craze. Ann (my knitting guru), showed me how to double knit the pocket, then I cast off half the stitches and am using the moss stitch for the pattern. I have a crapload of cascade 220 stash, so I thought I'd call it the "crazy cascade scarf". So far it looks pretty good......the pocket curls a bit, but I think I can probably block it out.

This weekend I'm hitting a couple of craft fairs and in my house a Sunday wouldn't be complete without watching the Packer game. My eldest turns 15 and is having 4 friends over to watch the game and sleepover. I've decided that's too much testosterone for me, so I'm off on my own. This will probably be a good day to find a nice coffee shop and knit.

I hope that everyone who reads this has a safe Thanksgiving Day.

Twisty Turn Complete!

It's been awhile, but I have one thing to finally post!
















As promised here is the completed Twisty Turn wrap from the Wrap Style book. I made it with Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran yarn I bought at Stitches. It was pretty mindless until I had to put it together! It looked simple enough, but my problem seems to be that I over think things sometimes. What looks easy seems to be hard for me! Anyhoo...all that matters is I love it! I tried to take a picture of it on me, but I was alone and was getting frustrated, so I put it on the chair instead.

The next project I'm working on is the spriral shawl from the same book. Easy enough to do, but you have to pay attention to those dang YO's! I'd post a picture, but blogger keeps screwing up!

Thanks for the encouraging words about that stupid hat! It was driving me crazy! I haven't started a new one......hopefully soon.

I'm still working on my Rowan cardigan. I would have taken a pic, but I started seaming it and I didn't want to have to lay it out and yada, yada, yada! All I have left to finish is the button band and decide on some buttons! Hopefully, I can get his done before it starts to get really, really, cold here. It looks kind of big on me and my husband said that he would be glad to take it off my hands!

Next on my knitting agenda is some socks. I bought some great sock yarn at stitches and can't wait to start them. I told myself that I will not have more that 3 projects going at once! The pattern for these socks are on size 1 needles! I never worked on such small needles and am a little nervous, because they look like toothpicks! Tonight I'm going to Starbucks to do a little knitting, drink a little coffee, and do a little chatting. You need to check out another knitter from our group, Stacy. She has a blog Clickity Click She's got a hedgehog as a pet and has a picture of him. It's too cute! Happy knitting everyone!