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Wednesday, September 09, 2009
I'd Like A Sick Day, Please!It has been SO much fun chez-Musings these last few days thanks to our lovely littleBut there has been knitting. Mostly finishing, as I want to finally clear the decks and get out from under some long-unfinished projects. So first, I finished Dad's 2009 Vest. It still needs a blocking, but all knitting and finishing is done!   I also finally finished sewing up my long-neglected Union Square Market Pullover. I was really close to finishing it 2 years ago, but then it started getting warm and I knew I wouldn't be wearing a cashmere sweater in the spring. Then last year I was pregnant, so knew I wouldn't fit into anything I had knit. My hope is that I can finally wear it this winter!  The yarn is recycled cashmere that I dyed brown and lime green. I haven't decided what to do with the neckline yet - maybe I'll just leave it loose! And finally, I'm finishing Wild Apple. I'm mostly finished with the knitting - I have to decide what to do with the cuffs and the hemline, so I'm sewing it up for a try-on and I'll make my decision then. I'm leaning towards hems rather than ribbing, but I'm not sure. I might do a small colorwork motif on the wrists.  And on deck? A plain, raglan pullover in stockinette out of yarn I thought I wanted to give away. Nope, I can't explain it either!  And Baby A? She's now mobile (when she wants to be). She still prefers standing to crawling, so may not ever be a very accomplished crawler. But she doesn't stay where you put her anymore, leading to fun times with drawers...  ... and a lot more exercise for poor Abby.  Labels: Baby, Dad's Vest, Union Square Market Pullover 0 comments || # Tuesday, February 26, 2008 Must Post More Often!Life is finally calming down now that the house is more-or-less set-up. I still have that "I wish I didn't have to" feeling each morning when I leave for work, but I've felt more "in-control" of my life and have consequently felt less overwhelmed by the challenges of each day.Most importantly, I've found a little time to hang out with some knitters... knitters who understand the joy of finally frogging back a mistake, only to realize that the whole "fix" just took a few minutes!!  Wooot! Erin discovers the joy of finally frogging her mis-shaped sleeve cap! I also had a lovely Valentine's Day, complete with a surprise flower-delivery at work - the first time S has sent me flowers! I was kinda expecting him to show up at home with some flowers like he usually does - it was such a thrill to get the delivery at work - I had such a silly grin on my face for the entire day!  Speaking of "silly," S wondered if I had perhaps lost my mind the other weekend. We were eating breakfast at the Silver Diner in Arlington after dropping off our old apartment keys, and I spied a beautiful Aran sweater on another patron. I had brought my camera in case we needed to take pics of the old apartment for some reason, and so I naturally proceeded to take pictures of the sweater. Isn't it lovely?   And please, there's nothing strange about stalking sweaters in the wild, right? Cricket, of course, prefers to stalk sweaters in the more civilized confines of the basement. Her supervisory skills were much appreciated as I finally gave the finished pieces of the Union Square Market Pullover a quick steaming to block out the edges. Who knows - perhaps I may manage to finally seam this thing up eventually!  Don't worry - it's not all work for the animals - they do get the occassional break to explore the sunny spots on our front porch...  ... and to investigate the napping possibilities of the new "yarn window seat" I constructed out of my trusty modular bookcase pieces.  Labels: Inspiration, Union Square Market Pullover 0 comments || # Saturday, January 26, 2008 Big Girl P@ntiesI have a friend who used to say that when life gets tough, you have to "put on your big girl p@nties" and deal with it. This has been a month for the big girl p@nties.S' family continues to recover from the horrific health issues they've struggled with so far this year - and we're really grateful for any good news that comes our way from Minnesota. On the home front, we lived like this for a bit at the old place:  Abbers was NOT pleased with our new concepts in interior design...  ... and then we lived with these fine, hardworking folks for a day...  ... and then we lived like this at the new place for a bit...  But slowly and surely things are finding places to live, and the boxes continue to get broken down and placed lovingly in the back of the truck to find a new home at our old apartment complex, where someone is always moving out and poaching boxes. And don't I look like I'm having SO MUCH FUN unpacking?  To be fair, I really don't mind unpacking. What I do mind is the job that is requiring me to work at least one day each of the last 2 weekends (including this one). (See note re. big girl p@nties, above!) On a much sadder subject, I have to announce the demise of a long-term relationship - Cricket and Spongebob have broken up. Spongebob, apparently, is not meant to be a "one-fuzzle" kind of pillow. Promptly after being unpacked last weekend at the new place, Spongebob already had an assignation all arranged...  As far as I know, Cricket hasn't spoken of or to Spongebob since. Luckily, being a resilient little kitty, she's already found her new lover... the floor-level heat vent.  See, in our old place, the ducts for the central heat and air had been retrofited at ceiling level, thereby depriving Cricket of a chance to absorb 95% of the furnace-output. Thankfully, in the new place, we've fixed that particular problem, and Cricket now spends approximately 21 hours a day curled up in front of various heating vents. The other great thing about the new place (among many great things?) I have my own Mr. Washie!!!! I do a little happy-dance each time I run a load, or wash my sweaters without filling up the bathtub...  Speaking of sweaters, I've been knitting away at the Union Square Market Pullover... I'm about 30 bind-off stitches away from finishing the last piece of knitting!  I can't wait to seam this up and add another cashmere sweater to the rotation. Plus, all of the stockinette on size 2 has been a perfect complement to the crazy stressed life I've been dealing with lately... so perfect, in fact, that I've upped the ante. I'll be knitting my next sweater in stockinette on size 0 needles. Any guesses?  Here's a teensy little hint...  Labels: Union Square Market Pullover, Wild Apple 0 comments || # Wednesday, December 26, 2007 Still Here!!Blogging has been a casualty of my current overwhelmed mood - it's reminding me strongly of that first winter break of law school - when I couldn't quite believe that a semester was over, and I couldn't quite imagine how I was going to make it through 2.5 more years. But it got better, and I made it... and I will make it through this adjustment to the new job, to my new life as a married lady, to the purchase of our first home, and to everything else life throws our way! Speaking of, S' step-dad had a heart attack on Christmas Eve, so everyone think good thoughts - he's doing well and should make a full recovery, but he's still in the hospital.Luckily, I've been able to knit occasionally, even if I hardly ever make it to Knit Happens to hang out with my girls. But see? Finished socks!  And clean laundry! Or a kitty bed. Or S' lesson in what happens when you aren't prompt about putting away your clean clothes!  Abby, meanwhile, continues to be a team player by helping us recycle the bone from the pork shoulder we made last weekend.  And yesterday, we tried to teach her how to open presents by wrapping up a treat for her to open on Christmas morning - she wasn't tremendously entertained by the extra steps required to enjoy her yummy!  Meanwhile, Henry came over for some Christmas fun and was well-received, so successful vest yet again! Plus, my dad resisted the urge to behead his subjects throughout the day.  Abby also helped alert us to the great danger of smoked salmon on the kitchen counter. She offered to help neutralize the threat, but apparently my parents thought the smoked salmon would be better off utilized in the breakfast omelettes.  And last but not least - there may have been some dyeing of the recycled cashmere, and there may have been some swatching for the Union Square Market Pullover. {innocent whistling}.  Labels: Henry VIII, Socks, Union Square Market Pullover 0 comments || # Monday, November 26, 2007 New Project Idea?I'm currently knitting S a hot-water-bottle cozy. Nothing exciting, but with the temperatures dipping, it's necessary.But I'm trying to think of another project to put on the needles - something mostly mindless, but no socks or scarves. Add in the added requirement that it be from stash if possible, and I've got quite a quandry... So I'm currently thinking the Union Square Market Pullover from Interweave, Fall 2005... and for yarn, I'm thinking the recycled cashmere...  I originally bought 3 XL cashmere sweaters on super-sale. I used some of the yarn from one of the cream sweaters to knit Elizabeth I, but I have all of the blue, plus a full sweater in the cream plus the leftovers from Elizabeth, so I should have PLENTY of yardage. Currently, I'm trying to figure out a color combination - I like the blue as-is, but I'm not thrilled with the idea of blue with cream accents for the Union Square pullover. Maybe dye some cashmere brown (paying close attention to the dye amounts so I can re-create if necessary?) Dye the cream into 2 colors and let the blue hang out for the next project? It figures - I think of a project, and then can't decide about colors - even with a huge mound of cream colored cashmere just begging for the dye pot. Any color suggestions? Labels: Union Square Market Pullover 0 comments || # |
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