Re-Runs and Spoilers

Have you ever played that game where people ask you.."If your life was a television show, what would it be called?"  This past week I am not sure what the title of my life story would be, but I can tell you we are in re-run season!

Our Monday episode, again, saw our fearless knitter trying to cram three days of errands into a single bank holiday.  Sunday's blogging even got moved to Monday, which was one of the few things she actually completed.

Tuesday was spent trying to cram Monday's chores and work schedule into a day that also had it's own chores and work schedule.

Wednesday was, almost, a re-run of Tuesday, with the addition of a couple of conference calls, and still those errands from Monday were being pushed aside.

And so it went all week.

Even my knitting was re-runs.

A couple more squares and a repeat of a pair of socks!

I so very nearly made it to the end of the second sock without having to break into the very stripey looking skein of yarn.  For the want of the last three decrease rounds I had to do it, though!

I don't think it even shows, at least while they are still wet and on the blockers, and once they are on my feet no-one will ever know!

In the Spoiler department, after a poll on the Yahoo Group, Andrea (Bad Cat Designs) is giving everyone a choice.  Knit her  Winter Extravaganza as a mystery or know what you are getting into.  Only click here if you want to know what you are getting into!

So, this week was the week of Re-runs and Spoilers, I wonder what this coming week will hold?

~M

Got any spare needles?

I have  discovered a problem with the case of startitus that I have had lately......All of the projects have been long term things.  Big, like blankets and fuzzy wrap things, or tedious like Tardis Plushies, so although there has been knitting there isn't a lot to show because, really, who wants to see more pictures of squares no matter how attractive I think the colors are working out, or more repeats of one lace pattern, or a big blue blob?

I did sneak a pair of alpaca socks in, they were a birthday gift that was quite a bit late, but at least seemed to be appreciated!  The yarn has been aging in my stash for a bit, and is long since discontinued but I had 3 skeins left, these socks took most of two of them.  In a fit of tempting the knitting gods to laugh at me I took the leftovers from the socks and a hat that I also knit from this yarn a while back and cast on a smaller pair of socks for myself.  I suspect that the toe ,and maybe part of the foot, of one will look a little different as the last skein of this yarn I have is much more stripey, being hand dyed there is that chance of variation even when you buy them all at the same time.  But all I want is something soft and squoushy to keep my toes warm!

In the middle of the keep knitting the things I already have going I had a rude awakening at the drug store.  I had stopped in to pick up my latest levels of prescriptions and my credit card would not work.  The pharmacist called the number and got put on hold, and I was on my way to a meeting so just grabbed my debit card and used it to pay instead.  When I finally got in touch with the credit card area of the bank I found out that my card number was having a jolly time in England without me!  Having not used the card anywhere I wouldn't usually, I was at a loss as to how my card number was exposed, but cancelled it and went on with my day.  (Side note here, I am very good at making sure that we live within the budget, so good that it was actually amazing that I had my debit card with me, I use my credit card for everything, rack up the reward points and pay it off when the statement comes in.  Waiting ten days for a new one was going to be a huge life style change!  But I survived and the new card came in on Saturday, just in time for grocery shopping and kids needing new shoes!)

Since that day at the drug store I have found out that one of the online retailers that I use, Knit Picks, had their info exposed and I am not the only knitter who had fraud on their credit card...and Knit Picks wasn't even customer service oriented enough to tell their customers this themselves!

Which is a pity, because with all those needles in projects I had been about to place an order for more cables for my interchangeable needles and some more cotton yarn for the baby blanket, and now....well now I am not sure I can trust them to be honest with me and I don't want to complete the purchase!

So, if you have spare cables or needles maybe you could send them my way because there is something good coming.

A project I have been waiting to start.  It is tradition, after all, that I knit along with the Bad Cat when she has something special on the needles!

I am late inviting you to the party, but won't you join me at the Winter Extravaganza?  The knit alongs are always fun, lots of happy chit chat and fellowship from knitters around the world and the timing couldn't be better for all of us.  Still chilly enough to knit and wear a mohair wrap for those of us in North America, and it should be heading into fall and cool enough to knit and wear a mohair wrap for those of you in the Southern Hemisphere.

~M

The Fickleness Goes On and on and on....

Maybe it is the weather, cold and snowy, or maybe it is my inability to focus on one thing until I am finished with it, but I played around with lots of yarn this week, but have nothing to show for it!

What I especially don't have to show for it is any progress on the Tardis Plushie.  It is exactly as when you last saw it...well now the yarn is crammed inside it, but you get the point!

I did rip the cotton yarn off the outside of one of the blanket squares I had made and replaced it with wool,

then finished up one more square and started the fourth.

The second Water for the Elephants sock still isn't cast on, but I managed to cast on a "foot oven" (scroll to the bottom of the post) 
 
I don't like the yarns I am using, too much contrast, so I will stash dive again to come up with a more pleasing color combo...which still doesn't get WftE knit!

And, well I played around with that cotton yarn a little bit more and actually followed someone elses pattern for a square.
 
 I think that could end up being my next baby blanket knit - this one for a baby that isn't expected to arrive years and years from now, but much sooner.  I have a variation on that pattern in mind, we will see if I can actually make it work!

I think in all this "startitus" my fingers are trying to tell me that I am looking for a certain project...now if I could just have my mind catch up and figure out what it is I might pair that "startitus" with some "finishitupus"!

~M