Morning, Everyone!
Hope your week has gone well and you have been able to get some good knitting time in both on the KAL project and your own knitting projects. Today we're going to start on the first front for our wee Teddy Bear sweater!
As most of you are probably already thinking, starting the fronts is similar to starting the back, with a couple of changes. First, we are going to be doing some shaping at the front neck, so the sweater is comfortable to wear and the fronts lie flat. As we are making a cardigan, we will do one front today and the second one next week. I know several of you will probably have enough knitting time to get them both done this week, but for those who have a lot of other responsibilities in your life, I'm posting one at a time to give you more time to work on them without feeling pressured.
Start by placing the sweater on the table (or your lap!) in front of you with the back you just worked on closest to you. Beginning at the top right edge of the right shoulder strap, pick up 17 stitches in the edge stitch. Turn and knit in the front and back of the first stitch, then knit across the remaining 16 stitches - 18 stitches total.
Set up and start working the stitch patterns as follows: 9 moss stitches, P2 K1 P2, cable 4 left twist cabling on the second right side row and every fourth row thereafter, P3. Turn, knit in front and back of first stitch, working stitches as they face you across the rest of the row. Work next right side row, cabling 4 cable stitches, finish row. Turn, knit in front and back of first stitch, finish row. Turn, work across row past cable, P2, work left twist on next two stitches as follows: knit into second stitch on needle behind first stitch, then knit into first stitch and drop both off needle, P1. Turn, knit into front and back of first stitch, finish row.
You now should have 24 stitches on the needle, right? Work across the row, doing the left twist and finishing the row with a P2. Turn, knit into front and back of first stitch, work across row. Now you should have 25 stitches on the needle. Work next side row, ending with a K1 edge stitch. Do not slip the edge stitch, as it will mess up the button band pickup process.
Continue working until the front is the same length as the back, place all stitches on a piece of yarn, admire your beautiful knitting, and have a great week! Don't use the same piece of yarn that you already have the back stitches on, as the sweater needs to lie flat when we work on the sleeves. Have a great week!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Teddy Bear KAL Part 2
Good morning, everyone! I spent some time this morning working on a pair of Fair Isle mittens for a good friend who, after spending over 55+ years in the USA, is returning to Scotland to care for her sister. Last Tuesday it suddenly dawned on me that I couldn't let her return to Scotland without a proper pair of Fair Isle mittens! So I dug out my Hebridean 2-ply leftovers from DH's Oregon Autumn vest kit, 'Knitting Fair Isle Mittens and Gloves' by Carol Noble, and set to work. This morning I have gotten to the point where I'm ready to kitchener stitch the top of the first mitten closed, so decided to set it aside for a bit while I write this post. I know there are some folks on Ravelry who are eagerly waiting for the 2nd part of the KAL and I hope you understand my need to make some serious progress on my friend's mittens. She is planning to leave the end of this coming week, if her DH gets good news from the doctors on Wednesday, so I really need to get close to finishing them this weekend so I can wash and block them before giving them to her.
Now, on to the wee sweater!
The first part had you cast on and knit the shoulder straps, then place those stitches on pieces of yarn until you are ready for them. The reason I specified pieces of yarn instead of stitch holders is for flexibility - it's much easier to knit on something when it will flex around your hands instead of your hands having to flex around a rigid stitch holder. Now we're going to start the back of the sweater and work it down to the bottom of the armholes before putting those stitches on a piece of yarn.
Place the shoulder straps on the table (your lap?) in front of you with the held stitches facing to the left and right. Starting at the top of the right strap, next to the held stitches, pick up 18 stitches in the edge stitch of the strap, picking up from the right side. Turn your needle and, using a cable cast on for strength and to reduce collar sag (won't happen on this sweater but will happen on people sweaters - painful experience talking here!), cast on 18 stitches. Turn your needle again and start picking up 18 stitches in the left shoulder strap, starting at the cast on edge and working towards the held stitches. You will have a total of 54 stitches on your needle when you finish. You can use whichever type of needle works for you, straight or circular, at this point.
Turn your work and knit back across all 54 stitches as follows: knit 17, knit into front and back of next stitch, knit 18, knit into front and back of next stitch, knit 17 - 56 stitches. I did this so you will know you can add more stitches to get the stitch count you need for your design if you can't pick up enough neatly in the shoulder straps. Set up stitch patterns as follows:
Moss stitch 9 sts
Purl 2
Knit 1
Purl 2
Knit 4 cable left (twist on second right side row and every 4th row thereafter)
Purl 2
Twist 2 left (knit into second stitch on left needle behind first stitch, then knit into first stitch on needle, drop both off left needle)
Purl 2
Braid 8 stitches as shoulder straps
Purl 2
Twist 2 right (knit into second stitch on left needle in front of first stitch, then knit into first stitch on needle, drop both off left needle)
Purl 2
Knit 4 cable right (twist on second right side row and every 4th row thereafter)
Purl 2
Knit 1
Purl 2
Moss stitch 9 sts
If you're new to Aran knitting, put stitch markers between the various stitch patterns to make it easier to see where they change. I've been knitting Arans for almost 40 years and I still use lots of stitch markers to divide stitch patterns to reduce mistakes (notice they don't stop me making them, they just reduce the number I make, lol).
Work twenty rows in pattern not counting the first knitted row on wrong side, then place stitches on a piece of yarn, sit back, and admire your work! Catch you next weekend!
Now, on to the wee sweater!
The first part had you cast on and knit the shoulder straps, then place those stitches on pieces of yarn until you are ready for them. The reason I specified pieces of yarn instead of stitch holders is for flexibility - it's much easier to knit on something when it will flex around your hands instead of your hands having to flex around a rigid stitch holder. Now we're going to start the back of the sweater and work it down to the bottom of the armholes before putting those stitches on a piece of yarn.
Place the shoulder straps on the table (your lap?) in front of you with the held stitches facing to the left and right. Starting at the top of the right strap, next to the held stitches, pick up 18 stitches in the edge stitch of the strap, picking up from the right side. Turn your needle and, using a cable cast on for strength and to reduce collar sag (won't happen on this sweater but will happen on people sweaters - painful experience talking here!), cast on 18 stitches. Turn your needle again and start picking up 18 stitches in the left shoulder strap, starting at the cast on edge and working towards the held stitches. You will have a total of 54 stitches on your needle when you finish. You can use whichever type of needle works for you, straight or circular, at this point.
Turn your work and knit back across all 54 stitches as follows: knit 17, knit into front and back of next stitch, knit 18, knit into front and back of next stitch, knit 17 - 56 stitches. I did this so you will know you can add more stitches to get the stitch count you need for your design if you can't pick up enough neatly in the shoulder straps. Set up stitch patterns as follows:
Moss stitch 9 sts
Purl 2
Knit 1
Purl 2
Knit 4 cable left (twist on second right side row and every 4th row thereafter)
Purl 2
Twist 2 left (knit into second stitch on left needle behind first stitch, then knit into first stitch on needle, drop both off left needle)
Purl 2
Braid 8 stitches as shoulder straps
Purl 2
Twist 2 right (knit into second stitch on left needle in front of first stitch, then knit into first stitch on needle, drop both off left needle)
Purl 2
Knit 4 cable right (twist on second right side row and every 4th row thereafter)
Purl 2
Knit 1
Purl 2
Moss stitch 9 sts
If you're new to Aran knitting, put stitch markers between the various stitch patterns to make it easier to see where they change. I've been knitting Arans for almost 40 years and I still use lots of stitch markers to divide stitch patterns to reduce mistakes (notice they don't stop me making them, they just reduce the number I make, lol).
Work twenty rows in pattern not counting the first knitted row on wrong side, then place stitches on a piece of yarn, sit back, and admire your work! Catch you next weekend!
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Teddy Bear Aran - Part 1
This is the first part of the Teddy Bear Aran KAL that I am leading on Ravelry in the Starmores From the Top Down group. I plan to post one installment each Sunday, so folks have enough time during the week to read the post, work on their class project, and do the other things they need to do in their lives. Hope folks enjoy this introduction to doing Arans from the top down!
Materials:
One skein of worsted weight yarn, I used Cascade 220 100% wool
One pair size 5 needles, I used circular 16 inch
Notepad and pencil or pen
Waste yarn to hold stitches
Shoulder Straps
Using a firm cast-on, such as Cable Cast-on, cast on 12 stitches. You want to use a firm cast-on, so the stitches don't stretch out as the garment is knit and then worn. My favorite is the cable cast-on, as it is firm, easy to do, doesn't require that the knitter try to figure out how much yarn will be needed ahead of time, and is one that knitters should have in their skills repertoire. Here is a link for folks who need to learn this cast-on.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4p6ybqnvVc
On the first row, P1, K1, P8, K1, P1 so the stitches are set up for the edge stitches and the 8 stitch braid that will run across the shoulder and down the top of the sleeve. I have found that braids are the strongest stitch pattern to support the weight of the sweater as it hangs on the body. The many crosses that the yarn makes as the braid is worked are like a strong net. If you need to put markers in to mark the edges of the braid until it is established, please go ahead and do it.
On the next row, begin the 8-stitch braid and do four repeats of it. This is a website that has instructions and a photo on it, please modify it so the edge stitch is knit on the right side and purled on the wrong side to make picking up the body stitches easier.
http://www.knittingfool.com/pages/stCatalog2.guest.cfm?StitchID=1672&name=Aran%20Braid&numofst=12&stplus=0&rows=4&rplus=0&sym=0
I am enclosing links to other websites so folks can learn about these valuable knitting resources that are available online to anyone to use. There are a lot of wonderful sites out there and it's hard to learn about them by oneself, so I'm offering links so folks can find and use them. If anyone has questions about how to do a stitch, or the website instructions are not clear, please put a comment on my blog and I will answer it as soon as possible.
When you finish four repeats of the braid, place the stitches on a piece of waste yarn, cut the knitting yarn leaving about 8 inches of end, and do the second shoulder strap. Do not try to reverse the braid, it is fine the way it is done. When you finish the second strap, you are done with the first part of this KAL and can relax until next weekend!
Happy knitting!
Materials:
One skein of worsted weight yarn, I used Cascade 220 100% wool
One pair size 5 needles, I used circular 16 inch
Notepad and pencil or pen
Waste yarn to hold stitches
Shoulder Straps
Using a firm cast-on, such as Cable Cast-on, cast on 12 stitches. You want to use a firm cast-on, so the stitches don't stretch out as the garment is knit and then worn. My favorite is the cable cast-on, as it is firm, easy to do, doesn't require that the knitter try to figure out how much yarn will be needed ahead of time, and is one that knitters should have in their skills repertoire. Here is a link for folks who need to learn this cast-on.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4p6ybqnvVc
On the first row, P1, K1, P8, K1, P1 so the stitches are set up for the edge stitches and the 8 stitch braid that will run across the shoulder and down the top of the sleeve. I have found that braids are the strongest stitch pattern to support the weight of the sweater as it hangs on the body. The many crosses that the yarn makes as the braid is worked are like a strong net. If you need to put markers in to mark the edges of the braid until it is established, please go ahead and do it.
On the next row, begin the 8-stitch braid and do four repeats of it. This is a website that has instructions and a photo on it, please modify it so the edge stitch is knit on the right side and purled on the wrong side to make picking up the body stitches easier.
http://www.knittingfool.com/pages/stCatalog2.guest.cfm?StitchID=1672&name=Aran%20Braid&numofst=12&stplus=0&rows=4&rplus=0&sym=0
I am enclosing links to other websites so folks can learn about these valuable knitting resources that are available online to anyone to use. There are a lot of wonderful sites out there and it's hard to learn about them by oneself, so I'm offering links so folks can find and use them. If anyone has questions about how to do a stitch, or the website instructions are not clear, please put a comment on my blog and I will answer it as soon as possible.
When you finish four repeats of the braid, place the stitches on a piece of waste yarn, cut the knitting yarn leaving about 8 inches of end, and do the second shoulder strap. Do not try to reverse the braid, it is fine the way it is done. When you finish the second strap, you are done with the first part of this KAL and can relax until next weekend!
Happy knitting!
Thursday, January 07, 2010
Cold morning!
Got up this morning about 7:30 (benefit of being on vacation is not having to get up at 6!) and thought the house was a bit cold. But since I've got a sinus infection I thought maybe it was just because I had been sleeping under the electric blanket. Then I checked the temp in the living room and discovered it was 61 degrees - brrrrr! Tried to turn the gas furnace on and the little flame symbol shows on the thermostat but the furnace doesn't budge. Went out to the garage and turned the breaker off and on, still no furnace start up. Turned the thermostat off and on several times - no luck. So I brought the little space heater in from the garage and set it on the floor by the coffee table where I sit to use my notebook computer and knit and watch the morning news. DH is still asleep and I want him to get his rest, so when he wakes up I'll let him deal with the furnace. We had to have a shut-off valve installed this summer and I'm sure he watched the tech work on the furnace, so maybe he will know how to fix the problem without having to call in a tech. But it's about 36 degrees outside and about 60 inside, so I'm sure he'll know when he gets up that there is a problem. Needless to say, the dogs are cuddled around me on the couch since DH isn't up yet. When he gets up they'll have to get down as he doesn't allow them on the couch. But right now we're denning up to stay warm.
I added the last couple of projects I finished on New Year's Eve, two cup cozies from left over Cascade 220 Heathers yarns from my nephews' gift hats. I almost got a third one done, but zonked with just two rounds and the cast off still to be done. They got done when I got up in the morning and I finished the Jasmin Fingerless Mitts at the New Year's Day Knit In at Rose and Ram Knit Studio in historic Independence, OR. This is the second year we've done the event and, while the turnout was smaller due to University of Oregon playing in the Rose Bowl, it was still a great success and we had a lot of fun. I brought the premie caps the Salem Area Ravelers group has been making to donate to the Salem Hospital NICU. Nancy knit a cap at the Knit In to put us at 75 caps. The next day, JaKay brought a box sent to her by a friend in Utah that put us at about 100, along with a pair of mittens, about 4 pairs of booties, and a lovely little blanket. I took them to St. Joseph's Catholic Church to be blessed and then took them to the NICU.
The nurses invited me inside the unit and looked at the hats, oohing and aahing over the pretty colors and fancy stitches that had been used. They were overwhelmed at how many we were donating and I mentioned this was our third batch in the last year. They kept telling me how much they and the families appreciate the little gifts for wee ones fighting to survive. Premie caps can be anywhere from the size of a lemon (mostly demise wee ones) to a regular newborn size, as some babies go home but then have problems and have to come back for care. They are a wonderful way to try out new stitches and color patterns in a quick project that doesn't take much yarn. A lot of us save our sock yarn leftovers to use for the caps, since the yarn is usually washable and pretty colored.
Yesterday I finished the first of my Brigit socks and plan to cast on the second one today. Yesterday I also worked on DH's Annemor#7 gloves from 'Selbuvotter' using his handspun yarns. I'm ready to start knitting the pinkie finger on the first glove and hope to get that done today. Even with the difference in gauge of the two yarns they are working up nice and I have hopes that DH will actually wear them this winter, lol. What's causing a problem is that I seem to have pinkeye in my left eye, making it water and causing problems reading charts and directions. I think somehow the virus in my sinus' got in my tear ducts and now I have two issues to deal with. At least I'm on vacation for another week, so hopefully I will be well by the time I go back to work.
I don't have anything to go do outside the house today so plan to get some things on my to-do list done, at least while sitting next to the heater, lol! So DH may get the whole first glove done while I snuggle on the couch with the heater and hot tea! I'm also knitting right now on my Allover cardigan, currently doing the first repeat of the body chart. Next repeat I'll see about changing out some colors to use some leftover yarns from my stash. I have yarns left over from DH's Autumn Oregon vest using Virtual Yarns' Hebridean 2-ply and I think some of those colors will work really well with the tone of this sweater (moorlands in bloom).
Pictures are always good, so let's see if I can get some to post to share with you. Hmm, looks like Google Chrome has no function to unblock popups so I need to close here and open Firefox. Be right back!
Well, that didn't work, either. I'll need to load the pictures onto my computer before I can post them here. Right now they are on Flickr.
In the meantime, I'll post the Flickr links so you can go look at them if you'd like.
First Brigit sock
Betsy's Mittens with Cats
DH's Annemor#7 gloves
Jasmin Fingerless Mitts
Premie Caps at New Year's Day Knit In
Cup Cozies
Enjoy!
I added the last couple of projects I finished on New Year's Eve, two cup cozies from left over Cascade 220 Heathers yarns from my nephews' gift hats. I almost got a third one done, but zonked with just two rounds and the cast off still to be done. They got done when I got up in the morning and I finished the Jasmin Fingerless Mitts at the New Year's Day Knit In at Rose and Ram Knit Studio in historic Independence, OR. This is the second year we've done the event and, while the turnout was smaller due to University of Oregon playing in the Rose Bowl, it was still a great success and we had a lot of fun. I brought the premie caps the Salem Area Ravelers group has been making to donate to the Salem Hospital NICU. Nancy knit a cap at the Knit In to put us at 75 caps. The next day, JaKay brought a box sent to her by a friend in Utah that put us at about 100, along with a pair of mittens, about 4 pairs of booties, and a lovely little blanket. I took them to St. Joseph's Catholic Church to be blessed and then took them to the NICU.
The nurses invited me inside the unit and looked at the hats, oohing and aahing over the pretty colors and fancy stitches that had been used. They were overwhelmed at how many we were donating and I mentioned this was our third batch in the last year. They kept telling me how much they and the families appreciate the little gifts for wee ones fighting to survive. Premie caps can be anywhere from the size of a lemon (mostly demise wee ones) to a regular newborn size, as some babies go home but then have problems and have to come back for care. They are a wonderful way to try out new stitches and color patterns in a quick project that doesn't take much yarn. A lot of us save our sock yarn leftovers to use for the caps, since the yarn is usually washable and pretty colored.
Yesterday I finished the first of my Brigit socks and plan to cast on the second one today. Yesterday I also worked on DH's Annemor#7 gloves from 'Selbuvotter' using his handspun yarns. I'm ready to start knitting the pinkie finger on the first glove and hope to get that done today. Even with the difference in gauge of the two yarns they are working up nice and I have hopes that DH will actually wear them this winter, lol. What's causing a problem is that I seem to have pinkeye in my left eye, making it water and causing problems reading charts and directions. I think somehow the virus in my sinus' got in my tear ducts and now I have two issues to deal with. At least I'm on vacation for another week, so hopefully I will be well by the time I go back to work.
I don't have anything to go do outside the house today so plan to get some things on my to-do list done, at least while sitting next to the heater, lol! So DH may get the whole first glove done while I snuggle on the couch with the heater and hot tea! I'm also knitting right now on my Allover cardigan, currently doing the first repeat of the body chart. Next repeat I'll see about changing out some colors to use some leftover yarns from my stash. I have yarns left over from DH's Autumn Oregon vest using Virtual Yarns' Hebridean 2-ply and I think some of those colors will work really well with the tone of this sweater (moorlands in bloom).
Pictures are always good, so let's see if I can get some to post to share with you. Hmm, looks like Google Chrome has no function to unblock popups so I need to close here and open Firefox. Be right back!
Well, that didn't work, either. I'll need to load the pictures onto my computer before I can post them here. Right now they are on Flickr.
In the meantime, I'll post the Flickr links so you can go look at them if you'd like.
First Brigit sock
Betsy's Mittens with Cats
DH's Annemor#7 gloves
Jasmin Fingerless Mitts
Premie Caps at New Year's Day Knit In
Cup Cozies
Enjoy!
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Holiday Musings
With the holidays about midpoint, it's time for some needed introspection about my life and goals for the coming year. Christmas Eve I got two pieces of life changing news - first, this is the last year we will be gathering at my brother's place for our Christmas celebration. My SIL is hoping to be in Hawaii next year for Christmas. She told us she started hosting the event because my parents had too much candy out at their home over the holidays and she didn't want her kids exposed to the sweets. Now the oldest is a freshman in college and the youngest is a junior in high school. The second piece of news was that my Mom wasn't strong enough to leave the rehab center to be with us. My Dad died in 2005 and now Mom won't be at the celebrations any more either. After dinner and present opening, my brother and sister and I talked about our options for Mom's care from here on out.
Mom was found on the floor of her assisted living apartment at 6:30 Sunday morning, December 13th, with confused thoughts on how she got there and no idea how long she had been there. She was transported to a hospital to be checked and the doctors decided she needed to stay overnight for observation and more tests. We had her moved to the hospital by my sister's place where Mom usually goes, they had been on ambulance diversion due to heavy patient load when Mom was transported. By the time I got to Portland, Mom was at the second hospital and all three of us kids were there during the admittance process, when the admitting nurse confirmed Mom's meds as shown in their computer. Unfortunately, for some reason as yet unknown, she did not get any of her multiple meds and by Wednesday she was in a lot of pain, her fingers and feet were swollen and red from her arthritis, and we kids were furious when we found out. The hospital is normally excellent and when my sister asked the nurse about Mom's meds, the nurse said Mom had had her two pills. My sister told her Mom takes about a dozen pills a day and the nurse flew out to the computer and pulled up her chart. Things started happening quickly at that point and they had Mom's afternoon meds in less than an hour. She got her regular pills the next morning and her pain level decreased drastically, but we don't know how much damage was done and if it shortened her life or reduced her quality of life.
On the 18th, it was decided to transfer Mom to a rehab center to see if they could help her regain enough strength to be able to go back to her apartment. However, one of the problems found in the hospital was that she was seriously dehydrated. The assisted living center is just that, assistance, not nursing care. During our discussion Christmas Eve, none of us felt comfortable about Mom going back to her apartment because we all feel she needs more care than the center can provide without bringing in outside help that would not be covered by Medicare. We have to give the assisted living center 30 days notice before she can move out, so next week my brother and sister will start researching what facilities are available near my sister's house, so she can visit Mom daily. We have until January 6th to get Mom someplace appropriate for her needs at this point in her life. Her dementia has increased substantially since her surgery in August, something I have noticed in other elderly after general anesthesia. Mom never wanted to go this way, she is a strong Christian and always hoped she would go in her sleep, not having to be a burden to us kids. We don't consider caring for her a burden, as this is something we want to do and do the best job we can for her.
So that was two major pieces of life changing news at the same time, on top of a really busy holiday season at work, hostile work environment issues with my regular supervisor, and fighting a cold that is being intensified by my allergies. Needless to say, I spent a lot of time Christmas Eve crying, both at my brother's house and later at home. I also did some crying Christmas Day before I went to see her and then at my sister's afterwards. And a whole lot of praying for strength, wisdom, guidance, and peace as I go through this time of life. But there is a good side to this - I am finally thinking out the steps I need to take to improve my quality and length of life, after seeing what Mom is going through and realizing what caused some of the problems. I've made some good changes this year and seen good results, but I know there are more changes that will improve my life more and give me better quality of life later on. I had been going to the mall to walk in the morning before work, until I developed a problem with a foot that prevented me from walking comfortably. That's been resolved, but I haven't gone back to the mall as I just can't motivate myself. The other day I was remembering when I was going to Portland State University and how well I felt. I walked a lot in those days, wearing out a pair of hiking boots each term in spite of riding the bus for long distances. But the difference is that I was walking with a destination in mind - class, work, library, home, shopping, visiting. Walking in circles around the mall just drives me batty. So the steps I need to take are to buy a good pair of walking shoes and a good backpack to carry things in. There is a warehouse grocery store about a mile from my house, so after work I can walk over there to pick up a few groceries several times a week and increase my stamina. And there are several restaurants I can walk to to have tea and do some knitting at, meeting friends.
Okay, enough about these issues and now on to some good knitting news. I managed to get all the Christmas presents done on time, even with finishing knitting the stocking cap for my oldest nephew at my brother's house Christmas eve. But I got it finished and wrapped in time for the present opening time, yea!
First, New Moon fingerless mitts for both my nieces, who are avid Twilight fans. New Moon Fingerless Mitts
Next, K2 P2 stocking caps for my two nephews, which I did not get pictures of before gifting them. I used Cascade 220 Heathers on size 4 needles to whip them out.
I knit a Cat's Paw lace scarf for my SIL using Jo Sharp Kid Mohair yarn in white. SIL Cat's Paw lace scarf
I knit Porphyria fingerless mitts for my sister using some beautiful yarn custom dyed by Three Fates Knitting.Sister's Porphyria fingerless mitts
I still need to knit gloves for my DH using the left over black and white hand spun yarns from his Norway cardigan, but I have time now.
At the moment, I'm working on Mittens and Hats With Cats for a friend. I gifted her the knitting last Christmas, if she bought the pattern and the yarns for it. So now it's time to get them knitted for her. She had put the yarns away and couldn't find them for several months. I've got the first mitten done, except for the thumb. I like to do both thumbs at the same time, after getting the mittens done, because sometimes I have to tweak the pattern to get the thumbs to come out right and I want both mittens to match.
I spent some time earlier this month and last, before I had decided what to make for my family, working on my Dream Coat. At this point, I've knit up almost all the yarn I have spun up and will have to buy another hank of roving and spin it before I can finish the coat. Dream Coat knit of Dicentra's beautiful rovings handspun by me I just need to finish the ends of the sleeves, do the cuffs, the front bands, sew the underarm seams, run ends in, wash and block. I had been hoping to have this coat done by the end of the year, so I could cross it off my 2010 Projects list for a good start to the New Year.
Yesterday at my sister's she told me that a good friend of her son really likes the hat I made last year for my youngest nephew and would love a hat like it. I spun a worsted weight yarn using Dicentra roving and knit a simple K2 P2 ribbing for the hat. It's the really bright colors the boy likes, so I'm going to find a way to knit him his own hat as soon as I can. He's abused by both his parents, who are divorced, with his father even driving over to his house just to beat up on him. So he needs to know that somebody in the world cares enough about him to do the work to spin and knit him a hat to wear.
I've been reading posts on Ravelry about resolutions folks are making for the New Year. On one of the threads, someone posted that she doesn't make resolutions, she makes intentions instead. I like that idea a lot, because resolutions always feel to me like they are made of glass - once you break them, there is always a crack that shows. But intentions are different, if you slip up, you just recommit to them and carry on. They are flexible enough for real life but important enough to persevere with working on in spite of bumps in the road. So I'm going to set up a Book of Intentions and not write in it until New Year's Day. I'll not only put knitting projects in it, I'll also put in things I want to accomplish around the house, in the garden, the flower beds, my truck (a classic 1979 Ford F150 with a Thunderbird canopy), needlework and my health. I can see the Book of Intentions being a long term project, not just for one year, but an ongoing roadmap and history of where I want to go, where I am, and where I'm going.
It's now time to get off the computer and get ready for the potluck my knitting group is having today. I'm going to stop by the store and pick up a veggie platter with dip as my contribution. And I'll take the Cat Mittens along to work on, as my friend won't be there and I haven't told her I've started knitting on them yet. I'd like to surprise her with the mittens and hat all done and ready for her to block to fit her personally. Hope everyone had a good Christmas and looks forward to a Happy New Year!
Peace
Mom was found on the floor of her assisted living apartment at 6:30 Sunday morning, December 13th, with confused thoughts on how she got there and no idea how long she had been there. She was transported to a hospital to be checked and the doctors decided she needed to stay overnight for observation and more tests. We had her moved to the hospital by my sister's place where Mom usually goes, they had been on ambulance diversion due to heavy patient load when Mom was transported. By the time I got to Portland, Mom was at the second hospital and all three of us kids were there during the admittance process, when the admitting nurse confirmed Mom's meds as shown in their computer. Unfortunately, for some reason as yet unknown, she did not get any of her multiple meds and by Wednesday she was in a lot of pain, her fingers and feet were swollen and red from her arthritis, and we kids were furious when we found out. The hospital is normally excellent and when my sister asked the nurse about Mom's meds, the nurse said Mom had had her two pills. My sister told her Mom takes about a dozen pills a day and the nurse flew out to the computer and pulled up her chart. Things started happening quickly at that point and they had Mom's afternoon meds in less than an hour. She got her regular pills the next morning and her pain level decreased drastically, but we don't know how much damage was done and if it shortened her life or reduced her quality of life.
On the 18th, it was decided to transfer Mom to a rehab center to see if they could help her regain enough strength to be able to go back to her apartment. However, one of the problems found in the hospital was that she was seriously dehydrated. The assisted living center is just that, assistance, not nursing care. During our discussion Christmas Eve, none of us felt comfortable about Mom going back to her apartment because we all feel she needs more care than the center can provide without bringing in outside help that would not be covered by Medicare. We have to give the assisted living center 30 days notice before she can move out, so next week my brother and sister will start researching what facilities are available near my sister's house, so she can visit Mom daily. We have until January 6th to get Mom someplace appropriate for her needs at this point in her life. Her dementia has increased substantially since her surgery in August, something I have noticed in other elderly after general anesthesia. Mom never wanted to go this way, she is a strong Christian and always hoped she would go in her sleep, not having to be a burden to us kids. We don't consider caring for her a burden, as this is something we want to do and do the best job we can for her.
So that was two major pieces of life changing news at the same time, on top of a really busy holiday season at work, hostile work environment issues with my regular supervisor, and fighting a cold that is being intensified by my allergies. Needless to say, I spent a lot of time Christmas Eve crying, both at my brother's house and later at home. I also did some crying Christmas Day before I went to see her and then at my sister's afterwards. And a whole lot of praying for strength, wisdom, guidance, and peace as I go through this time of life. But there is a good side to this - I am finally thinking out the steps I need to take to improve my quality and length of life, after seeing what Mom is going through and realizing what caused some of the problems. I've made some good changes this year and seen good results, but I know there are more changes that will improve my life more and give me better quality of life later on. I had been going to the mall to walk in the morning before work, until I developed a problem with a foot that prevented me from walking comfortably. That's been resolved, but I haven't gone back to the mall as I just can't motivate myself. The other day I was remembering when I was going to Portland State University and how well I felt. I walked a lot in those days, wearing out a pair of hiking boots each term in spite of riding the bus for long distances. But the difference is that I was walking with a destination in mind - class, work, library, home, shopping, visiting. Walking in circles around the mall just drives me batty. So the steps I need to take are to buy a good pair of walking shoes and a good backpack to carry things in. There is a warehouse grocery store about a mile from my house, so after work I can walk over there to pick up a few groceries several times a week and increase my stamina. And there are several restaurants I can walk to to have tea and do some knitting at, meeting friends.
Okay, enough about these issues and now on to some good knitting news. I managed to get all the Christmas presents done on time, even with finishing knitting the stocking cap for my oldest nephew at my brother's house Christmas eve. But I got it finished and wrapped in time for the present opening time, yea!
First, New Moon fingerless mitts for both my nieces, who are avid Twilight fans. New Moon Fingerless Mitts
Next, K2 P2 stocking caps for my two nephews, which I did not get pictures of before gifting them. I used Cascade 220 Heathers on size 4 needles to whip them out.
I knit a Cat's Paw lace scarf for my SIL using Jo Sharp Kid Mohair yarn in white. SIL Cat's Paw lace scarf
I knit Porphyria fingerless mitts for my sister using some beautiful yarn custom dyed by Three Fates Knitting.Sister's Porphyria fingerless mitts
I still need to knit gloves for my DH using the left over black and white hand spun yarns from his Norway cardigan, but I have time now.
At the moment, I'm working on Mittens and Hats With Cats for a friend. I gifted her the knitting last Christmas, if she bought the pattern and the yarns for it. So now it's time to get them knitted for her. She had put the yarns away and couldn't find them for several months. I've got the first mitten done, except for the thumb. I like to do both thumbs at the same time, after getting the mittens done, because sometimes I have to tweak the pattern to get the thumbs to come out right and I want both mittens to match.
I spent some time earlier this month and last, before I had decided what to make for my family, working on my Dream Coat. At this point, I've knit up almost all the yarn I have spun up and will have to buy another hank of roving and spin it before I can finish the coat. Dream Coat knit of Dicentra's beautiful rovings handspun by me I just need to finish the ends of the sleeves, do the cuffs, the front bands, sew the underarm seams, run ends in, wash and block. I had been hoping to have this coat done by the end of the year, so I could cross it off my 2010 Projects list for a good start to the New Year.
Yesterday at my sister's she told me that a good friend of her son really likes the hat I made last year for my youngest nephew and would love a hat like it. I spun a worsted weight yarn using Dicentra roving and knit a simple K2 P2 ribbing for the hat. It's the really bright colors the boy likes, so I'm going to find a way to knit him his own hat as soon as I can. He's abused by both his parents, who are divorced, with his father even driving over to his house just to beat up on him. So he needs to know that somebody in the world cares enough about him to do the work to spin and knit him a hat to wear.
I've been reading posts on Ravelry about resolutions folks are making for the New Year. On one of the threads, someone posted that she doesn't make resolutions, she makes intentions instead. I like that idea a lot, because resolutions always feel to me like they are made of glass - once you break them, there is always a crack that shows. But intentions are different, if you slip up, you just recommit to them and carry on. They are flexible enough for real life but important enough to persevere with working on in spite of bumps in the road. So I'm going to set up a Book of Intentions and not write in it until New Year's Day. I'll not only put knitting projects in it, I'll also put in things I want to accomplish around the house, in the garden, the flower beds, my truck (a classic 1979 Ford F150 with a Thunderbird canopy), needlework and my health. I can see the Book of Intentions being a long term project, not just for one year, but an ongoing roadmap and history of where I want to go, where I am, and where I'm going.
It's now time to get off the computer and get ready for the potluck my knitting group is having today. I'm going to stop by the store and pick up a veggie platter with dip as my contribution. And I'll take the Cat Mittens along to work on, as my friend won't be there and I haven't told her I've started knitting on them yet. I'd like to surprise her with the mittens and hat all done and ready for her to block to fit her personally. Hope everyone had a good Christmas and looks forward to a Happy New Year!
Peace
Thursday, December 03, 2009
Holiday Gift Knitting Update
Just wanted to post an update on my knitting progress for holiday gifts. Last night I finished running in the ends on the two pair of New Moon Fingerless Mitts that I knit for my two nieces. I had started a different pattern for the oldest niece, who is in college, but then Monday evening I was texting with my brother and he said both girls are into the Twilight series. So I changed my plans and both pair will go to them. Fortunately, both mitts had the color patterns turn out in pairs, so they won't get them mixed up. Then I used most of the left over yarn for a premie cap for the group we are making to deliver to the local NICU on St. Distaff's Day on January 2nd.
So today I'm back to working on the Porphyria mitts, which will go to my sister. I may use the leftover yarn from those for a pair of Jasmine Fingerless Mitts for myself. The yarn is custom dyed by my friend Stephania, of Three Fates Yarn. I've got one mitt done except for the thumb, which I put on hold until the second mitt body is done so they end up the same length.
I'm going to knit a white kid mohair scarf for my SIL, I bought the yarn several months ago on a yarn crawl with the Salem Area Ravelers. I'll just pick a simple lace pattern out of my books and knit until I run out of yarn. For my brother I'm not sure what to make, so I won't worry about it for now. My sister had told me Sunday that we're only exchanging gifts for the kids, so we'll see.
Work has gotten very busy, and the lines are longer with the cuts in staffing. We're working as fast as we can (or most of us are, there are a couple who don't have more than one speed) and for the most part folks are being patient with us. I'm really hoping to get the weeks of Christmas and New Year's off on vacation, won't know until the week before when the schedule is posted. But I put in for it last year and the work load will be very low so it should happen.
Happy knitting!
So today I'm back to working on the Porphyria mitts, which will go to my sister. I may use the leftover yarn from those for a pair of Jasmine Fingerless Mitts for myself. The yarn is custom dyed by my friend Stephania, of Three Fates Yarn. I've got one mitt done except for the thumb, which I put on hold until the second mitt body is done so they end up the same length.
I'm going to knit a white kid mohair scarf for my SIL, I bought the yarn several months ago on a yarn crawl with the Salem Area Ravelers. I'll just pick a simple lace pattern out of my books and knit until I run out of yarn. For my brother I'm not sure what to make, so I won't worry about it for now. My sister had told me Sunday that we're only exchanging gifts for the kids, so we'll see.
Work has gotten very busy, and the lines are longer with the cuts in staffing. We're working as fast as we can (or most of us are, there are a couple who don't have more than one speed) and for the most part folks are being patient with us. I'm really hoping to get the weeks of Christmas and New Year's off on vacation, won't know until the week before when the schedule is posted. But I put in for it last year and the work load will be very low so it should happen.
This is the favorite yarn I bought at Sock Summit 09 that I'm knitting into socks, that have been put on hold until the holiday knitting is done. Can't wait to get back to it!
Sunday, November 29, 2009
The Holiday Countdown is on!
The Holiday Countdown has begun! I decided last week that instead of giving gift cards, as we have done for the last couple of years and which left me feeling very unsatisfied, this year I'm knitting gifts for the family. So the rush is on to decide on patterns and yarn and get them knitted in time. Having emergency oral surgery which took most of my extra cash was an extra impetus. I resolved years ago not to go into debt giving gifts during the holidays, so I usually have cash stashed to buy gift cards, but the surgery, even after insurance, took most of that. So now I have a really good excuse to go back to knitting gifts, whee!
Both of my nieces are going to get fingerless mitts, the oldest one is getting Porphyria, a free pattern on Ravelry, and the youngest one is getting the mitts from Twilight's 'New Moon' movie, as she's in high school and her sister is in college. I'm taking the precaution of using washable yarn, as the oldest one, being a fashionista, is apt to just throw them in the washing machine. I am using some custom dyed yarn for Porphyria, dyed by my friend Stephania who owns Three Fates Knitting. My sister will get the other pair of Porphyria, as I knit her a set of mitts last Christmas in a different pattern.
For my SIL, I'll pick a lace pattern from a book and just knit it until I run out of the two skeins of yarn I bought several months ago. I talked with my brother about it on Thanksgiving and he thinks she'll use the scarf. I hope, anyway.
My Mom, being in an assisted living center, will get a jigsaw puzzle of no more than 500 pieces for her gift. We've found that as her Alzheimer's gets worse, her ability to handle large puzzles has diminished. So no more 1,000 piece puzzles for her, we don't want to spend hours trying to sort pieces from multiple puzzles out after she mixes them up trying to finish a puzzle. The staff wash her clothes for her and she still has knitted items I've made for her in years past, so the puzzles work fine at this time in her life.
For my DH, I've found a pattern for Thumb & Finger Mitts aka Nfld Gunner Mitts, which are mittens with a separate forefinger. The pattern calls for homespun yarn in dark and light colors and I just happen to have some of his handspun yarns left from his Norway cardigan and my White Corrie Aran vest that I can use for them. The pattern has stripes on the wrists, and fingers, with a diamond in square pattern for the back of the hand. The pattern calls for size 8 needles but based on my experience with these yarns I'll probably use size 5 needles and might run them through the washer one time before I gift them to do a little bit of felting to make them warmer.
Needless to say, my Allover cardigan is on hold until I get the gifts knit up and the next colors ordered for it. I am making progress on my Dream Coat, as I'm working on it at knitting get togethers so I don't have to focus so much on charts while I chat. Wednesday nights the place we go is not lit really well, so not having to try to see a chart makes for more enjoyable knitting. Yesterday we went to our usual place for Saturday afternoons but they closed early at 3 pm, just two hours after we arrived. We moved to a nearby Shari's, as Stephania had just arrived and we had committed to helping her sew together blocks for an Afghan for Afghans that she has been working on for two years. I spoke with the staff at Shari's and they would love to have us invade them on Saturday afternoons, as that is a slow time for them usually and they would love to have the business. So we're going to discuss moving our get togethers to a more hospitable locale. Last weekend the owner at the coffee shop complained about us moving tables together so we could sit together, after she had told us two months ago she had no problem with us doing that. So we're not feeling really welcome there anymore and have been discussing moving. Yesterday was a serendipitous happening for several reasons - we were 'encouraged' to find a different location to continue our get together when the first location closed early, we decided to (mostly) move to another location to sew the blocks together, and we found a very welcoming location with the room and the staff and the lighting and the food service to accommodate us.
Work is getting more hectic, since they haven't replaced any of the 15 people who retired at the end of October, long lines are to be expected at Post Offices for the holiday shipping season. I want to encourage folks to contact their senator and ask for more employees to be hired to work the windowlines. Headquarters waited so long to cut employee numbers that a recovery has started and now we don't have the staff to handle the increased business - how dumb is that?!?!? So please write, call, email or stop in at your senator's office and encourage them to put pressure on the PMG to hire more craft workers. We don't need more Executive Vice Presidents, we need more troops in the trenches to get the real work of moving the mail done. Okay, rant mode off now.
Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season, no matter which holiday you may celebrate - Christmas, Hannukah, Eid, Winter Solstice.
Happy knitting!
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