Too hot for hats

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As many of you know, I have been sick lately. I'm still battling the crud left over in my lungs and not back to my 100% self. About all I've been able to knit on lately has been hats. And not wonderfully intricate lace or beautifull cables, no. All that has been able to come off my needles lately are very basic stockinette stitch hats. I found a beautifull simple hat pattern on Ravelry called the Felicity Hat. It's done in a lucious purple malibrigo yarn that is like knitting with the softest cloud. So beautifull, I love it. As I got a bit healthier (ie, wasn't praying for death) I decided I wanted to do something a bit more challenging, but not to much. So, I changed up the felicity pattern, adding a few purl rows into the pattern, and changing the decreased at the top. Does this mean I'm now a designer? Haha, don't really think that this counts, but I'm calling this hat the "Berry Picker" I used a MANOS del URUGUAY Kettle Dyed pure wool in a colorway that makes me think of mixed berries. This hat makes me look forward to the fall when I can go berry picking. I'm testing the pattern again with Dream in Color and if all goes well, I'll write up the pattern and post it.

I am in LOVE with these hats!!!! However, it being 87 degrees outside, I guess I'll have to wait a few months to wear them. Wow, did I just complain about it NOT being cold here in Alaska. I must still be a little sick.

Yours Knitting: 18
Total So far: 63.5

To sick to knit

Oh how it sucks to have a whole week off of work and be too sick to knit. For 3 days I thought it was a common cold and tried to use the time to catch up on my knitting. It only took me about an hour to completely screw up a sock. Now I must unknit 6-8 rows of my temperance sock. The sock which I've moaned about before. Anyways, I'm waiting till I'm all better before I even think about touching that damn sock again. What started off as a common cold has now turned into pneumonia. Ugh, thanks to a 2am trip to the ER with a temp of over 103 and difficulty breathing, I now have the meds to get me back in good health, back to work, and back to knitting.

Before my sick week I did get some knitting time in on a toe up Jaywalker sock that turned out lovely. Will post pics when the second one is done.

Hours knitting: 9
Total so far: 45.5

A shawl for Mothers Day

I had a wonderfull day with my daughter spent watching movies and hanging out.... and knitting. After having to un-knit (tink) 2 rows of lace pattern (total nightmare) I was able to finish my "Traveling Woman" shawl. Yippee!!! This was my first shawl and my first time reading a lace chart. It's such a feeling of acomplishment. I still have to block it, but concidering summer is here, that may wait for a bit till I have some other things to block with it. Blocking is almost as repulsive to me as a gauge swatch, so I like to put it off till I have a few things and can do them all at once.

To my amazing mother, I LOVE YOU WITH ALL MY HEART. I could never put to words how much I admire, respect and cherish you and our relationship. Thankyou for all you have ever done for me (even if I didn't understand at the time). Thankyou for changing my diapers. Thankyou for teaching me how to be strong. Thankyou for showing me compassion. Thankyou for nurturing my creative side. Thankyou for always being my number 1 fan. I would not be the person I am today without you. I am everything I am because of you.

Hours knitting: 6
Total so far: 36.5

When work gets in the way

Well, I knew it would happen. Damn work interfering with with my knitting. This last week has had very little knitting time. At least in compairison to when I was unemployed. Oh how I miss when I could knit for 10 hours a day. I don't think I fully apprecieated it at the time. I think I was more focused on the fact that I didn't know how I was going to pay rent or buy dog food (and forget about buying yarn).

I'm LOVING my job!!!!! It is so rewarding, I am truely blessed to be working at the facility that I am. That fact makes it a little less painfull to be away from my knitting needles.

I've been working on my Traveling woman shawl. I now only have 7 rows left. Woot woot, that sounds so close..... But as the pattern goes on, the rows get longer and longer. It's now taking close to 15 minutes per row and will continue to take more and more time the closer I get to the end. But that's the way a shawl goes.

More knitting to come during the weekend. Yipee for friday. I'll be posting pics as soon as this shawl is done. Hopefully by sunday......

Yours knitting: 3.5
Total so far: 30.5

More times you just gotta rip it.

Sung to the tune of Divo's "Whip it" When a problem comes along, you must rip it, when the knitting just goes wrong, you must rip it..... Yup, had to rip out about an hour and a half's work, cause I either can't do math or was just too wiped out to think. Most likely a combination of both. With the prompting of my mom, and my knit group the Fairbanks Fiberistas, I decided to try my first shawl. Never thought I'd want to knit a shawl cause well, I'm not a grandma. But I'm really likeing the idea of a small one that can be worn like a scarf. And the timing couldn't be better because both my mom and the knit group want to do shawl Knit A-Longs. So I decided on the Traveling Woman shawl another wonderfull design (and free pattern) from Liz Abinante. I don't know what I did wrong the first go around but I had 8 more stitches on one side of the "center" than the other. I didn't even realize it till my mother texted me and asked how I was doing. Damn, I'm so glad she did, who knows how long I would have kept going before I discovered the monsterous mess I was making. Ugh, let the ripping begin.... Thankfully It was my day off and I had been missing my needles anyways and was just happy that I had the time to rip and start over. After the ripping my Saturday was spent knitting for 40 min (the time it takes to watch an episode of CSI on DVD) then dishes, knit for 40 min then vacume, knit, fold laundry, knit, fold laundry, knit, knit, knit. And it was good. I'm now done with the first repeat of the 1st lace chart. Which happens to be the first lace chart I've read. Yipee.

Yours Knitting: 6.5
Total so far: 27