The eleven has turned into 9, so I have been knitting on my unfinished objects (UFO’s). The only problem is I have all these dream knits circling my brain wanting me to cast them on. I mean who knew there where Star Trek hand warmers how can I not want to make those?

The two that came off the needles though were both for my Mom: a cabled cowl and a sock yarn hat, which I love. With the sock yarn hats the yarn can do all the work for you. A long car ride or in a situation where I know I will be watching cartoons with kids who expect me to pay at least a little attention I pull out one of these, it’s a great project. So much so that I am no longer counting them in my UFO pile because I think I should always have one going.

They are so simple, for a sock hat you just:

*Using a 16 inch circular in a US size 2 or 3 depending on your yarn. You will need DPN’s to close the hat unless you would like to magic the top of the hat closed.

*I cast on 124 or 132 depending on how thin the yarn is. (I like a big hat I have lots of hair). You can always go down, just make sure you have a multiple of 4 for your ribbing.

* Then 1 inch of 2x2 rib.

*Next knit 6 inches from cast on edge.

*Now I like to do 5 decrease points every other row so I either go up or down until I have a multiple of 5. Then I divide the number of stitches in to five sections using makers so I don’t lose my place if I have to put my hat down for any reason. Then knit until two before the first marker and k2tog repeating this 4 more times. Knitting the next row plain.

* Keep up the decrease row and the knit row until your work becomes too small for the circular needles you’re knitting with. For me this will be around 50 stitches. Switch to your choice of ways to close the hat, DPN’s or a magic loop circ.

*Now do the decrease row every row until you have no more that 15 or less than 10 stitches on your needle(s). Pull out a 6 inch tail at least and then take a tapestry needle tread end and run through all unworked loops. Next push needle through center of the hat and weave in all ends.

* Your done!

You can get at least two adult hats out of 400 yards of sock yarn. So all that pretty patterned sock yarn I don’t want to put on you feet I can make a hat. Or the perfect color I have for the friend I really don’t want to spend lots of time knitting socks for make I can them a hat. I think this is so cool.
I know I’m a dork.

Too long

It’s been much too long but here I am to give an update. In the time that I’ve been gone I have been busy, well no that busy. Dyeing yarn, working like crazy and frogging every other thing that I’ve started. Let’s see I frogged toe-up Jaywalkers (cast on too many), my first sweater the Clover Cardi (did not fit at all) a pair of legwarmers I was designing (they were eating yarn and at 10 dollars plus a ball we’re talking 70 dollar legwarmers). I cast on a pair of socks in Eco wool and a pair of Fleece Artist socks and the Pom Pom is still on the needles I just need to do the decreasing.

Also with the change of season I’m going to actually try and garden this year but not just for the squirrels this time. We got few large containers to plant this season hopefully I can keep the squirrels away.

Last year I was seeing all these squirrels with these little green balls and I was like what so they have where are they getting those from and then I saw my tomato plants poor things with the stems all striped and one little tomato left. Not this year! It’s me vs the fuzzy tailed rats, wish me luck.

I have no idea

I have know idea what happened, I have so many projects on the needles. It’s like … I don’t even know lets count:
1. Headband
2. Porom hat
3. First socks (I lost them for about a year)
4. Toe-up jaywalkers
5. Clover Cardi
6. Aunt C’s hat
7. Armless hoodie (hold)
8. Legwarmers
Okay that’s eight and way to many considering that I need to work on my Holiday stuff:
M = Hat and fingerless gloves
S = Hat and fingerless gloves
M1 = Scarf
M2 = Jayne hat
Mom = Hat and scarf
CP = Handspun scarf
Oh and I’ve singed on for a color work class. I have gone insane or I will be very soon! What was I thinking?

On a side note I think I and a little done with the center pull balls because they keep exploding on me check this out (look up) it my very lovely Porom hat that has been sitting for about three weeks because the center pull ball sort of exploded and I just don’t want to deal.

Next up...

Today I got my baby surprise done and I put in no buttons holes (Ha Ha), instead I’m putting in snaps as soon as I get a hammer. So go me! I still have the Clover Cardi on the needles and I’m working on that alone. I’m so close to getting done that it’s almost sham that I haven’t finished yet. It is helping that it’s getting cold so I have more incentive to get done.

The next cast on will be leg warmers (my own design) I think or maybe toe-up Jaywalkers, either or both would be great. While I was waiting I fell down again on my craft buying this time though I got double of my sock needles and this really cool bag that was on sale so I don’t feel so bad.

What I really want to do is get my swap partners stuff ready to go so that she can have it by next week I have a few ideas but haven’t decide yet.

For the Silver

So Knitting Olympics yeah not so much. The poor poor vest that I started no less than twice is still sitting waiting to froged and stared yet again due to a fatal error in the wrap and turn of the color change on each side.

How may you ask does this get me a Silver well, if I didn’t tell you before it was my ideal to host a local KO and four or five days before the end of the Olympics I get a frantic call “Can you sew in a circle, I’m very serious can you leave work early?” Which then leads me to spending a day sewing little pin cushions to be handed out as awards. So when you are one of the people who have helped make the actual medals that get you silver, even though my project is now on hold.

Besides during the KO I was cheating the entire time with Lulu the ladybug. I just wanted to spend all the time I could with her so much so that I hit ebay for at least 4 roving purchases. I have dreamy plans of a hey teach sweater out of my own hand spun. Launch the lights and wavy lines because 1 pound of oatmeal roving is on its way to me.

My Hands

I've gone crazy and my hands they hurt...darn this vest! I will finish knitting you!

Most likely not by Sunday.

I still have time

Okay so I am so far behind on my Knitting Olympics project it laughable at this point. I have I think maybe 3 inches of the back done. The thing is I was the one who said hey Thi lets do a Knitting Olympics knit along and give out prizes. The best laid plans of knitters and supper villains.

Its not like I’m not trying I just keep getting distracted. With what you say: cleaning, Dr. Horrible, and for those who know me in real life Rain. I know I should be knitting or at least watching the Olympics but I just keep surfing youtube for Rain videos and videos on spinning yarn.

Alright I can hear my friend Eileen’s voice now “Just knit it!” Okay, okay I’m going to knit or maybe I’ll just watch the last episode of Dr. Horrible one more time. The last time promise…well until tomorrow, I wouldn’t want to lie. Right?

Is it too late?

Oh the Knitting Olympics what shall I do? I could go the easy route and do leg warmers which won’t be easy because I want to put a wicked cable down each side but the vest from the Knitting Man(ual) is not going well. I am right now recasting on for the third time. Now with the vest I would learn a lot of new stuff: a little two color work, seaming and putting on a hood, but the leg warmers would be cool.

Now it is true that with the leg warmers I have a better chance of finishing but it would still be a challenge? Right? In my heart I know that it’s the hoodie I should make but my head says take the easy one because it’s easy (well duh!)!

Darn it! I want this to be a challenge so it’s the hoodie so back to the swathing and pattern adjustments.

Wait where my dog? “Here Gucci wouldn’t you like a nice small dog sweater?” Now there’s and idea.

Wanna Trade?

I've joined a few swaps and you need to know some things about me so here you go!

Swap Info:
1. Do you knit or crochet? How long have you been at your craft? I can do both, crochet since I was little knitting 2+ years.
2. Do you spin? What type of spinning do you do? I just started I got a little ladybug her name is Lulu.
3. Are there any other crafts that you participate in? I scrapbook and I love making ATC’s, cards and art journaling.
4. What are your favorite yarns/fibers? Wool and who doesn't love alpaca.
5. What are your LEAST favorite yarns/fibers? Cotton.
6. Are there any types/brands of yarn that you are dying to work with but haven't gotten a chance? Camel fiber.
7. What are your favorite types of projects to knit/crochet? Socks, legwarmers sweaters, hats, scarf's …
8. What are you currently working on? Anything you plan to start this autumn? I'm going to cast on a EZ pie shawl and Jayne hat or three.
9. What is your favorite FO? (Please, post a picture if you would like.) My First sweater I'm sure it will change.
10. What is your oldest UFO? I just finished the socks of death which took almost two years.
11. Are their any knitting/crochet techniques that you would like to learn? Toe up socks two at a time on one circ.
12. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements? Yes I have knit one pair of socks. I have very wide feet like 10.5 around, but at least they’re short.
13. Do you have a yarn winder and/or a swift? Yep, have both made the swift myself.
14. Where/how to you keep you needles/hooks? In a jar and these cute little tea tins.
15. Do you collect anything? Yarn, books art supplies and purses.
16. What is your favorite type of music? Are you MP3 ready? I love all music except hard rock or rap…I'm in love with Rob Thomas I plain to marry him. I take my I pod with me everywhere!
17. Do you like sweets? What are your favorites? Big head nod YES. Kisses, caramel kisses and gummy bears.
18. What is your living situation like? Any pets? Children? A pet that's more like a child a spoiled little dog named Gucci. I know I was asking for it.
19. Are you allergic to anything? Just spiders…ewwww!
20. Do you have an online wish list (Amazon, Etsy, Loopy Ewe, etc.)? Please include links for your swap pal. Etsy (yessire01) .
21. Are you having a birthday during this swap? November 11th.
22. What is your Ravelry ID? Yessire.

Finding my people

Well it happened in November of last year I found my people it was quite by chance I was looking around on Revelry in my local area and it said that new knitting store opened up, with a quick check of Google maps I found that it was five minutes from my house. I was in the car the next day no matter that I had a fever and was sick as all get out (I mean I couldn’t breathe through my nose because it was so stuffed up). People keep asking ‘are you okay’ and the ever popular ‘you don’t look okay’ but I knit away. Looking back that may not have been good for my new friends, oh well.

Over the next few weeks they took me from knitting scarf to actually making a hat then two more hats and now I’m making a sweater. Now I’ve always been kind of crafty so the other owner and employees seem to feed my creative brain. Just sitting in the store is like increasing my IQ, there’s a book club for heaven sakes. Though just listing to people talk knitting helps me understand those strange directions like SSK or K2TOG. Not to mention the owner is always say really cool things like just remember that you SSK first, of course that means nothing to you unless you are knitting the toe of a sock.

Anyways to say that I love this place is an understatement, there is a always room for you even if you want to sit outside with your puppy and knit at the outside table. So I guess I’ll clue you in the store is called Knitty Couture and get this one door down there’s a pizza place that severs drinks, two doors down is the best noodle place ever. Yarn, drinks, egg rolls and an outside table I can sit at with my dog is there anything else I could want in life?