May 2007

May 25
Projects, Projects, EVERYWHERE
Ok so I just have too much stuff on my needles. Lots of stuff in various stages of finishing. I'm putting up some pictures of whats up. My husband is just so patient. This holiday weekend, I am going to finish projects. The pink/red socks were knitted on a KH860 Brother machine. I just have to weave in ends and finish up little ribbing seams - These are for Jessie. She thought she wouldn't like them from looking at the yarn, but after it was knitted up, she liked em. Ok then the other sock, that's from the Ronald MacDonald Fall 2007 collection (kidding, I have no affiliation with Ronald MacDonald even though I did meet him once at a birthday party which was the highlight of my life). I also just have to weave in ends and do the ribbing seam. I guess that ones for me. I didn't do the second sock yet though. The yarn is wool/cashmere and will keep my cold feet warm this winter.

The charcoal gray sweater was also knitted on the KH860 and is my first sweater on the machine. Of course it went so well that I have three more sweaters planned now. This one is for our most boring dresser, 13 yr old boy. It will have a hood on it when I'm done, I was just sewing seams and stuff to show my darling husband how it was going to look. He pretends to be interested which I think is so sweet. I mean you know most guys would just glaze over and watch football or something, but he really tries.

The orange aran sweater is my current handknit project. Now that we're going to be Stepgrandma and Grandpa, I'll have baby projects going soon. Until we find out if the BC is a pink booty or blue booty, I'm just going to make a few hooded ducky towels - I'll put them up when I do em. I thought maybe a yellow or white baby blankie too. I just saw the darling pattern for undershirts that are open to the shoulder. I remember those being so nice to get over that gigantic bobble baby head at first when you're a nervous mumma.

I also knitted him a ribbed cowl type thing for when he rides the harley. He says sometimes he wants to keep the wind from going down his shirt - like early morning when its cool, so I knitted him a ribbed cowl to go with the beanie he wears under his helmet. I know they make helmet liners with attached cowls, but I figured two separate pieces are more versatile for when he wants just one of them. Anyhow that ones needs to be sewed up too so I'm buried in finishing.



May 18
I did it!
I decided to try lace and had quite a heck of a time. The first attempt just sucked. I didn't understand that the lace carriage on my KH860 Knitting machine did nothing but transfer stitches around, and that I actually had to run the regular knitting carriage once all the stitches were transfered. I finally had to post a question on the yahoo group I belong to to get some info.

So those wonderful people explained the process to me - Thank GOODNESS. Then I tried some yarn which kept breaking. I think the tension was just too tight, because that stopped once I loosened it. Ok, try it again! The next time, the stupid carriage kept dropping stitches or dropping them onto the gate pegs instead of the hooks. So not cool.

I had to take a break because i was so frustrated! Then I came back later and decided to knit a couple swatches for garments i'm designing for two of our boys. After knitting them and tossing them in the washing machien for shrinking, I decided to try one more time and I DID IT!! I made an actual swatch with a lace pattern. I could PEE!