Knitting Up A Storm

From the lack of content on this blog you might think that the knitting has stopped but I have actually been knitting up a storm.  However, I have mainly been producing gifts, Christmas gifts.  I cannot post pictures because I do not want to ruin the surprise for the recipients.  But one lovely gift is going out in the mail this week so I will post a picture once it reaches it’s destination.

You Know You are an Adult

We are having a new roof installed over our porch.  I am ridiculously excited about the new roof.  You know you are an adult when home improvements cause you to be giddy.

Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Crackers

Suck.  Never try to substitute them for Crunchy Cheetos.  You have been warned

Knitting and Cheetos, but not in that Order

I have suddenly become obsessed with Crunchy Cheetos, which I keep calling Crispy Cheetos.  This is confusing Hub because he in under the impression that I like the Puffed Cheetos, which are entirely different.  This all started because I was forced to eat out of a vending machine last week and I selected the Crunchy Cheetos because “I haven’t had those in years.”  Little did I know what I was starting.  In an effort to control this craving, I only buy the 50 cent package.  Because of this, yesterday I did a little tour of local convenience stores in search of them.  You would be surprised at how few convenience stores carry the Crunchy, as opposed to the Puffed, Cheetos.  None of my local stores even carried a version of the Crunchy Cheetos made by another company.  Cheetos apparently dominates the local cheese doodle market.  Who knew?  I actually walked out of one store because the cashier was taking way too long to ring up a gallon of orange juice.  I may be obsessed but I am not willing to wait more than 5 minutes in line to buy Crunchy Cheetos.  It didn’t help that all the other adults in line behind me were buying coffee.      

On another note, last night I finished the Luxe Neck Warmer from Knit 2 Together ( I did wash the Crunchy Cheeto dust off my fingers first).  It is a cute and quick knit.  I used some leftover yarn and knit it up on size 10 1/2 needles.  I was concerned that it would be too small because my gauge seemed to be off.  However, my gauge turned out fine.  It appears that I miscalculated my gauge in the feather and fan stitch pattern.  With the stitches curved how does anyone figure gauge in that pattern? 

I did run out of yarn so it is only about 6 inches long  but the size is good because it fits under my coat nicely.  If you look at the projects on Ravelry you will  notice that some people replaced the purl row with another knit row  for a smoother effect. 

The most exciting thing about this project is that I finished it in two days.  That is a personal best for me, the world’s slowest knitter.  I was so inspired I even wove in the ends and blocked it.  Right now I am waiting for it to dry so I can wear it.  Of course, tomorrow it is supposed to be suddenly warm.  I figure if I keep knitting wintry stuff Spring will really come just to spite me.  I still have not had the opportunity to wear the slouchy beret I recently finished.  It has been windy, rainy, and damp, but just not cold enough for a hat, particularly a hat that smells like  sheep when wet.

Hallowig

Today I finished making a Hallowig.   It was a reasonably quick and easy knit.  However, it did require some emergency needle buying as the sticky acrylic yarn worked best on a metal needle.  I picked up an Addi circ.  So I used cheap yarn on an expensive needle.  The weirdness of that does not escape me. 

Anyway,  since I KIP a lot, people have been constantly asking me what it is.   Since it is so odd I have been showing them the picture from Knitty.  That I am knitting something for Halloween in April seems to get people’s knickers in a wicked twist.  I finally said to someone, “why do you care?”  The person just sputtered at me.  Just wait until I start knitting an Elvis wig for Hub!

Spring has Definately Sprung

And why do I say definately?  Because today I finished a lovely woolen beret.  While it may get windy and rain buckets, I just know the temps will not drop low enough to allow me  to wear my new hat in public for the foreseeable future.

“Design Element”

If you are knitting and you do something wrong once it is a mistake.  If you keep doing it, it becomes a “design element.”  And that is my final position.

Knitty City

Hub and I wandered by Knitty City last month after a trip to the Museum of Natural History.   I had never been to the store before.  Oddly enough it just happened to be the store’s Third Anniversary so they were having a party.  It is a really lovely store.  When it gets a little warmer (and I have used up some more of my small stash) I am going to put on my walking shoes, shine up my metrocard, and do a yarn crawl of NYC yarn stores.  I will definately hit Knitty City that day.

No Second Sock Syndrome Here!

Aren’t you done with those socks yet?

The Christmas tree has been down for quite a while but I still keep finding pine needles on the floor.  I think Kitty has something to do with it but he is not saying a word.   

Right now I am working on the toe decreases for the second sock so that should be done soon.  When I finish I will post pictures.  As I approach the end of the this project I now have a taste of why sock knitting can be so addictive.  Once you get the basics down socks can be a relatively quick, easy, and portable project.  Oh, and turning that heel is pretty nifty too.

Next up on the needles?  I am anxious to start a hat with my “souvenir”  yarn from Ireland because the weather here is freakin’ crazy.  And I am determined to fix the bullet-proof poncho in time for St. Patrick’s Day.  That will be a production!

Cold Toes

The other day Hub came home to find me darkly muttering about kitchenering (is that even a word?) the toe of my first sock closed and the chicken that refused to defrost so I could roast it for dinner.  The toe never got grafted closed that night and we had canned soup for dinner. 

The sock was done except for grafting the toe closed and removing the lifelines.  Now, I successfully used the kitchener stitch before on those Fuzzy Feet slippers and the ginormous sock.  But for some ridiculous reason I just could not get it going.  The following day I finally went over to KnittingHelp.com  and watched their video tutorial on the kitchener stitch about 20 times and got the job done.  KnittingHelp.com is a fantastic resource. 

Right now I am just about the turn the heel on the second sock.