Being a knitting needle addict

I'm amazed how many knitting needles i have! ok, the DPNs, i counted individual needles, so a set is either 4 or 5... but some sizes, i have 17??

well....... all i have left are my circs now... i've done the long needles, the dpns, and the crochet hooks.... had a bit of trouble till i could find my needle gauge.... all needles should have what size they are engraved on them!!

speaking of which.... signatureneedlearts.com - they custom make knitting needles. you can pick the size, the length, 3 different points, and 3 different end caps.. then they engrave the size, the length and point into the side of the needle. i love those needles. the price scares me a little bit... but seriously, if i was going to treat myself, i can see buying 1 pair in the size i use most often...... once i figure out what size i use most often, that it.

still working on the shrug - i've got 3" of the 6" of ribbing..... i was so worried that i wouldn't have enough yarn, it looks like i'll actually have some left over - not sure if it'll be enough to actually make something (i'm thinking calorimetry or something similar?)

we'll see.... i still have to finish alie's wings too - got the wire, just need to sit down and do it - but first, i really want to finish this shrug. i make so many things for so many other people, i need to have made something for me. the shrug is it.

i guess.

OK, Ravelry is cool

I wasn't sure how useful yet another crafting site would be - tonight, i started plugging in all my knitting needles....... just started with the straight ones, need to do the DPNs and the circs.......

it's a little scary when you realize that you have 4 sets of the same size needles!!

but it'll be useful when i have a project, i can just look on there to see how much yarn i have, what needles i have.......

so tomorrow, i'll hit the DPNs and the circs, and see if i can at least get that organized.

maybe.

And glad I am that it was the last day of football

No season is complete without an injury (or 3)

first, there was the sprained ankle. ok, i can handle that.

then, there was the concussion. ok, it wasn't a bad one, i can handle that.

today, last game...... sprained AC joint in the shoulder (did you know the shoulder had an AC joint?)

the bad news is....... well, there really isn't any. he'll have to wear a sling, and no phy ed for a week or so......

the doctor was cute :-)

and i got another 14 rows done on the fingerless mitts, to go with the 14 rows i got done before the game started.

so it's all ok........

i'm also working on the shrug - but that's getting too big to take along anywhere..... so the mitts travel, and the shrug stays home. and they'll both get done.

Last day of football

my son plays youth football - 8th grade. today's the last game. on the one hand, i'm glad i don't have to run to practices, run to games, and wash uniforms 3 times to try to get them clean (with varying success).

On the other hand, i'll be sad to see the end of football. i really like being a football mom! for the past 3 years, i've acted as unofficial team photographer, and at the end of the season, i go through all the pictures (plus the pictures for the other 8th grade team), and put together a DVD slideshow/movie, complete with background music.

I have over 5000 pictures. this is going to take a while.

so for this morning, i'm grafting the 2 main pieces of the tempest shrug, so i can pick up 532 stitches (!!!) and do the ribbing. then it's done.

i like finishing things, which is pretty funny since, as a kid, i was the queen of unfinished projects. and the shrug is actually for me!

On the needles....... and off

I'm still knitting away - let's see - purple wings for Alie Elan (knitty.com Allete pattern)....... Tempest Shrug (borocco.com tempest pattern)..... and snowball's chance in hell fingerless mitts for leah...... anticraft, maybe? (huh, i don't remember where they're from)

Ah well... i have a huge list of things to make after these....

2. unbiased silk sari yarn purse http://www.knitty.com/issuefall04/PATTunbiased.html

3. lady eleanor stole

5. puffy sleeve pirate jacket from knit.1

6. striped cardigan from knitty.com http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEspring07/PATTcarolyn.html

7. calorimetry from handspun yarn I got in a swap http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter06/PATTcalorimetry.html

9. socks. i have sock yarn, but socks scare me. i WILL make a pair of socks!

10. lace shawls - I have the wool to make like.... 5 shawls? just need to find the right pattern for each of them!

11. heere be dragone shawl - this one's so special, it needed its own mention http://www.alpacanation.com/alpaca-products/03_view_product.asp?name=103724

12. felted flowered bag http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=188790.msg1988873#msg1988873

13. the 400 year blanket (started it 400 years ago, it still needs to be finished!)

17. non-lace shawl with the handpainted wool I got at the knitters guild marketplace (starting it tomorrow when i get out of the house and go to the knitters group that meets weekly!)


And these are the ones that are finally finished - this can be my record of what i'm doing... because i ended up with a copious amount of yarn just begging to be made into stuff!

1. beachcomber tunic from interweave crochet for a friend -- DONE!!
http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=192072.msg2056220#msg2056220

4. mystery stole 3 (started, set aside for the tunic #1) -- DONE!!!! (pictures to be posted eventually, i'm just glad it's done)
http://www.craftster.org/pictures/data/500/shawl11.jpg
http://www.craftster.org/pictures/data/500/shawl21.jpg
http://www.craftster.org/pictures/data/500/shawl31.jpg
http://www.craftster.org/pictures/data/500/shawl4.jpg

14. felted hedgehog for my niece - purple, as this seems to be the only color in her spectrum
http://www.craftster.org/pictures/data/500/eggplant.jpg

16. transformers toque for a friend's hubby for xmas - commissioned project - DONE - http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=201782.msg2154751#msg2154751

A. totally NOT knitted - made a batch of peppermint soap (cold process) today - my whole apartment smells minty!

And then there was Eggplant

Not the vegetable. The creature.

I have a niece, she's 4-1/2. Her name is Alessandra Elan, which is a HUGE first name, and sort of odd middle name.... but she's cute as a button!

So for xmas, I decided to make her purple things... purple seems to be the only color in Alie Elan's spectrum!

I'd like to introduce y'all to Eggplant, the hedgehog. Made from the FiberTrends pattern, in purple wool and purple fun fur, I hope Alie likes her!

Mystery Shawl 3

Over the summer, there was a yahoo group for a mystery shawl 3. I love the concept. here's a chart. start knitting.

next week. here's the next chart. keep knitting.

had no idea what i was making, or what it would look like. I was knitting with yarn from 2 cones of (probably) weaving yarn - pretty thin, definitely acrylic, and massively cheap from a rummage sale. I thought i'd be able to use up these cones, using the 2 strands together.

i thought wrong.

honest... i think every night, the yarn regenerated, because there's no sign that i used them at all. they're still just as full as when i started.

the shawl is pretty big - it's got to be about 6 feet long, and depending on how you spread it out, between 2 and 3 feet wide. i like it.

i like it even better draped across the shoulders of the long leather coat i bought from salvation army for a steal at $22.50!

but here's the shawl, because it makes my friend kerstin happy - she's been wanting to see it!

Huh!

I have a blog. Imagine that! Ok, I have no clue what to put here.

I knit. A lot.

More about that later.