There are days when I really wonder.

In the never ending saga of trying to make Mary feel better, doctors have yet again, upped and changed some of her "stupid pills".  So far the jury is still out as to if they do anything other than make her stupid, you should ask my team about "Oh wow, she did a Mary!" or "I am hot, or cold, one of them, not sure which yet."  All this week I have wondered if it is even worth getting out of bed and trying to start my day.

Today I had proof, positive proof, that I would have been better off just not.....

Behold, seven stripes into a boring to knit, striped hoodie sweater for the first twin.

So far, so good right?  Making pretty good progress on it and it looks good so far, even stitches, no gaps at the increases.

Now take a look at the next ball of yarn.

Um, Houston, we have a problem, those are different colors!  Well, actually the same color, just very different dyelots.

Oh well, on second thought I think I wanted slightly wider stripes anyway, might as well just start over!
On that note, I am even further behind on my Christmas knitting!
~m
(TDQ looked over my shoulder and asked me if a YarnDiet is a good diet?  But of course it is, lots of fiber!!!)

Don't panic.....at least not yet

It hit me looking at my calendar today, in just two days we will be exactly 2 months from Christmas.  For those who do not celebrate it with an overload of gifts, both purchased and knitted, no big deal.  For those of us with plans that are bigger than our fingers, it is terrifying!  Well, maybe not yet, maybe I should save terrifying for another month and three weeks...what do you think?

And more importantly, if you are one of those knitters who makes gifts for loved ones to be given in that winter holiday, what do you make?

During the summer I came up with a plan, started it, then promptly forgot it until this weekend!  Each of my children would open three hand knit gifts from me : a pair of socks, a blanket and a sweater.  The plan being that no matter how much they grow and change over the years, the blanket, if cared for appropriately, would last forever (or at least a good long time).

During the heat of the summer one blanket was finished, one was started but pushed to the side in favor of cooler knits during that heat, and now here we are with two months of good knitting time left and .......it isn't finished.  Luckily Socktober stepped in and I got at least one pair of the socks done!

The First Brother's Christmas Socks.
Plain vanilla socks, I let the yarn take care of the patterning so that I could knit on something brainless while watching Little Shop of Horrors among other things.


Size 10 needles also made quick work of one sweater!
Leaflet, from Knitty.
Yarn: Louisa Harding Kashmir Aran of course in Purple for TDQ

It still needs blocking, but first I want to wash my swatch. I know, I know, before starting knitting I should have swatched, washed, blocked, just to be sure, but....I knew I wanted to add long sleeves and I wasn't sure how much yarn I would have left so I left swatching until I was finished knitting.  Good plan, as it turns out, as I could only make one smallish swatch before running out of yarn!  It is washing now, though!


My lunchtime knitting has been this scarf for the lady who donated a ton of yarn to my stash!  No pattern to speak of, just cast on, increased, knit some twisted garter between rows of k2tog, yo, doubled the stitches and finished with some K2P2 ribbing.  It spirals nicely!

If you do not hear from me in a while, send lace patterns....the boys have decided they want plain, well striped, hoodies as their Christmas sweaters this year...I am lost in miles and miles of knit one row, purl one row!

Really there has been some knitting!

Hmm, well it looks like it has been a while since I was here.  Trying to get new routines fully established seems to have eaten up a bit more time that it should have, but there has at least been a little knitting going on.  Just not my usual quantities.

That said, there is a finished object to share!

The Ties that Bind, by Diane Conroy.
Yarn : Colourmart Cotton/Linen/Silk 6/24 yarn held double throughout (Two full cones with about 22 grams to spare.)
Needles: Size 9 US

I was one of several people who got to test knit this pattern before Diane officially published it, (you can get it now as it is hot off the presses, just follow the pattern link above).
The yarn really changed with a quick trip through my washer and dryer, now it is all soft and cuddly!
See the difference?  Closer even, after the washer :

Before the washer:



Quite a drastic change, but I like it!

While I was washing and drying this piece suddenly it hit me.

It is Socktober already and I haven't knit any socks in a good long while, so

Nothing like a pair of plain vanilla socks when the head doesn't work right!

Other updates, BabyRay Blanket is still on the needles, those rounds are getting longer, CPDWifeScarf is about to be cast off...no pics of either in my camera this time, maybe next time.

~M