On my Needles and Between my Pages May 16th

On My Needles

Roam has had an outstanding week on the needles.  The left front is finished and the right front is well on its way to completion.  I am hoping to be able to finish the front over the next few evenings and see a sleeve in my very near future.  I have also been able to devote a little time to Baby Oliver’s welcome to the world present and as long as he doesn’t do anything too foolish (like arrive a month early) I am confident that I will have the whole thing finished in time.  Once mum has seen it, I will happily share more than hints with all of you.  But until that happens, I can say it’s fun knitting and very bad blogging material.

Between My Pages

I would love to be able to report on The Night Circus this week.  I would love to be able to say that it is enticing and riveting and that I can’t put it down.  And realistically I am sure that is all of those things.  But, I can’t say any of that because this last week pretty much all of my reading time has been devoted to this.

That’s right, I have gone  back to school and am studying behavioural therapy.  The only reason most of my time has been devoted to only one textbook is because the college didn’t receive the second book I needed in time for the beginning of our classes so I’m only reading this one and a whole lot of supplemental readings for both classes.  As far as textbooks go, it’s pretty darn interesting if you have a background in psychology.  I am hoping that I will have the other textbook by the end of the week and that I can catch up on the readings that I should have already done by now and that I will be back to my regularly scheduled posts next week.

For more great Wednesday stuff check out WIP Wednesday and the Yarn Along.

The EBI Goes for a Drink

I love knitting with my friends.  I love it even more when it’s bright and sunny and we are on the back patio of our favourite pub.  The have a great selection of really good beer and they are completely used to us taking over a table and covering it in pretty fibre goodness.  The always try to clear our table of things that can get in the way of our fibre  and if it’s not too busy they will even bring our drinks to the table for us.  They are very knitter friendly and we love them for it.

And that’s Roam hanging out on the table

Most of the time we actually knit

Sometimes we just chill

Sometimes I decide that it’s a good idea to climb up onto the bench to get a picture of the EBI.

I figure it’s days of leaving the house are very limited so it had better get to travel while it still can.  And, all knitting does deserve to have some fun from time to time.

YOP Update May 13th

So I sort of feel off the radar last week.  I have started post-graduate studies in Applied Behavioural Analysis and I sort of freaked out with stress and boycotted the computer for most of the week.  The only time I was on the computer was to check my class info and hop onto Rav from time to time.  But, now that I’m into my classes (one in Applied behavioural Analysis and one in professional Ethics) I have a better handle on  life and feel like can write and knit and do some fun stuff again.

Now to the knitting.

I did manage to get some knitting finished this week.  First the left front of Roam is finished and I have started the right front.  I think it will be finished just in time for the summer when it’s too darn hot to wear it.  But, I will have a lovely sweater waiting for in the autumn.  I have made more progress on the secret baby present for Little O and the EBI has been a great saviour for my sanity as I can pick it up and put it down easily and it’s so darn pretty.

I do actually have a couple of posts scheduled to drop this week as it’s my goal to still maintain things here to the best of my abilities while giving up a ton of free time to reading and assignment writing.

Hope everyone had a great fibre week.

WIPS:

• Clockwork (cast on June  &  part of the Knit-a-long of Doom) (Finished July 2011)
• Wallis Cardi (cast on August of last year)
• Rattlesnake Creek socks (cast on about 1 1/2 years ago)
• Noro Log Cabin Blanket (cast on in June & it’s Christmas Knitting)
• Toe Up Socks

Christmas:

• Super secret BFF gift (I know you read this.  No peeking, but you’ll like it.) (Finished Sept  2011)
• Super Secret Husband gift (He reads it too.) (Finished Dec 2011)
• Urbana  (Finished July 2011) (Dad)
• Podsters
• Saturday morning slippers x2 (FIL, mom)
• Minion (Teiff) (Finished October 2011)
• Gargoyle (Sean) (Finished October 2011))
• Strangling Vines scarf (Christine) (Finished Dec 2011)
• Windcheif hat (dad) (Finished November 2011)
• Cherie socks  (mom)(In Progress)
• AStericks (MIL) (Finished November 2011)
• Dog Chewie (Maggie) (Finished October 2011)
• Super Secret Little J gift (See first super secret gift.  That’s her mum.) (Finished Oct 2011)
• Kleenex covers x6 (Finished October)
• Algonquin (In Progress)
• Washcloth x2 ( I really thought I was finished with those!)  (Finished Sept 2011)

 

Shawls

• Flamboyan (Finished Jan 2012)
• Reunion Cowl (Finished Jan 2012)

Cardis

• Roam (In Progress)

Socks

• Lenore (The third) (Finished Dec 2011)
• Flaming Desire 
• Staked  
• Fishbone Gansey  (Part of the Knit-a-long of Doom) (Finished October 2011)
• Cut & Paste
• My Vampire Boyfriend (Part of Nerd Wars) (In Progress)
• Cauchy 
• Masonic Lodge (In Progress)
• Flutter-by (Finished February 2012)
• Aragorn
• Duckies  (Finished Aug 2011)

12 Shawls in 2012 (first 6)

• Different Lines (Finished March 2012)
• Sharktooth (In Progress)
• Flavia (Finished Jan 2012)
• Stephen West Club shawl (February 2012)
• Stephen West Club shawl (Feb) (Finished April)
• Walnut Grove (In Progress)

 Dishcloth Challenge (first 12)

• 10/12 complete

 

Newly added

• West Knits Mystery KAL (Finished Sept 2011)
• Julia
• Minion Army (Finished October 2011)
• Blue Whale shawl – replacement MIL Gift (Finished Dec 2011)

 

The running totals so far are:

26/46 complete

12/21  in progress

To try to have a better idea of what happens in my stash

Balls in/Balls out

0/11  (January)

8/5 (February)

0/3 (March)

16/4.5 (April)

0/0 (May)

FO Friday – Different Lines

It feels like forever since I’ve posted a Finished Object on a Friday.  As usual this has been finished for a while but it needed to be blocked and photographed.  I used one skein of each colour and could have easily added a few more stripes as I had a very generous amount of yarn left over.

The Pattern: Different Lines

Yarn: IndigoDragonfly MCN Sock (Colour Kathleen Turner Overdrive)

IndigoDragonfly Merino Sock (Colour Captain Tightpants)

Overall, this is a very easy, fast knit.  Almost too easy as I think that part of the reason it’s not longer is that I needed to move on to something a little bit more challenging.  But, I’m please with the final product and happy to have it for the autumn.

For more Friday knitting check out FO Fridays, Creative Friday, Fiber Arts Friday, and Fibers on Friday

A Terrified Sweater Knitter Makes a Back

A major accomplishment has happened.  The terrified sweater knitter has made a back. Let me say that again in case you missed it: I. Made. A. Back!!!!!  And even more exciting, it’s going to be the right size!
See, here it is:

I had thought about taking photos from a bunch of angles, but then I thought about it for a second and realized that this is probably not the best idea (or at least not the most sane).

But look how happy I am!

And you know the best part (’cause in my opinion there’s still more and you all think I’m a little unbalanced anyway so why not keep going)?  Nothing bad happened while I was knitting it.  Nothing burst into flames, elves did come out of the wall while I slept and hack the knitting to bits or hide my yarn (but they didn’t clean the kitchen either – sigh), and I didn’t get eaten by wolves. But you know what did happen? I made a back!!!

And even better (yes, that’s right, this is even better than the best part)? Now I’m making a front. Soon after that, there will be sleeves and a hood. It’s pure madness. Warm and cozy green madness.

Pattern: Roam

Yarn: Indigodragonfly Polwarth Silk 

On My Needles & Between My Pages

On My Needles

It would be a slight understatement to claim that my knitting has become a shade redundant in the last few weeks……I’m working on Roam and making a sock yarn blanket.  And then the next day comes along and guess what? Still working on Roam and making a sock yarn blanket.  And really, this isn’t a problem.  I’m making progress on both and enjoying what I am working on, but it makes for really catastrophically boring blogging.  I’ve crossed into broken record territory to be certain, and this is a little strange for me.  Usually I am working on so many things I drown under buckets of woolly goodness.  Those other projects are still there, it’s just that right now, I want to be working on Roam and knitting a blanket.  So there you have it, a self-proclaimed project polygamist knitter is as close to monogamy as I have ever been.  It’s a little frightening.

Between My Pages

There is a little more variation here.  I’ve moved onto The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern and it is amazing.  Romeo and Juliet meet Victorian Era Circus life in a well written engrossing novel that is captivating and close to impossible to put down.  This book really should be a must read on everyone’s list.

For more great Wednesday stuff check out WIP Wednesday and the Yarn Along.