The same old thing

I've fallen and I can't get up! I shared my strategy for getting my 'knitting fix' when I don't have adequate time to knit. I am discouraged to think that this may be developing into a vicious cycle.

There was an added bonus to an offsite meeting this week - a not-so LYS had received the long awaited shipment from Blue Moon Fibers. Do I really need sock yarn? Do I really want more STR knowing full well that my club shipment will arrive within weeks? Apparently so, because this came home with me!

Now, in all fairness, I must disclose that there was a day last week that I had a meeting flop in the morning and had a big lag until my next meeting in late afternoon. I could have worked, but headed home and worked on my Briar Rose KAL sweater all day. I ordered The Devil Wears Prada and just knit row after row...a few more days like that and my life balance may return. I have both the front and back of my sweater blocked and have cast on both sleeves to knit at the same time. I made the cuff ribbing a bit wider than that on the waist and that made me wonder if there is some 'rule' that says your ribbing should always match...being too lazy to rip out the last 5 rows to test the view, I forge into the actual sleeve knitting.

Having moved to the sleeves got me thinking ...

What would I knit next with Briar Rose? (ok, this is going to be a re-occurring theme) I had been thinking about that Earth Song and easily have enough to make a surprise for me. So, Earth Song it is! The pattern is chosen and I am itching to swatch, but...I am disciplined and will complete the sleeves for my Legend 'V' neck first.

Notice, discipline does not extend itself to rolling the next yarn in line into skeins!

I also have a finished object and just need to find the 'right' buttons. I know that I want handmade cherry buttons and just need to go on a hunt for them. Photos will post as soon as this is accomplished.

When non-knitters embrace our passion...

A belated Christmas present arrived today to remind me how much my Hubs aka BDCH loves me.

My husband doesn't 'get' why I have a passion for knitting - yarn, patterns, blogging, KAL, but he 'gets' me and knows how integral a part of my life knitting is. He ordered these customized labels to be attached to the things that fly off my needles - right, wrong, ugly (yes, a few), or beautiful - I now have my own labels to stake claim that I've created.

He always pretends to listen as I rave about the blog, a new participant for the Briar Rose KAL, the newest shipment of yarn that arrived on our doorstep, or just my occasional out-of-the-blue comment of "you know, I LOVE yarn." He smiles, nods, remarks that he does know I LOVE yarn, then goes back to reading the financial news in the paper.

Of course I've completed some knitting - posted on the KAL blog here.

UFO finished?

I would love to dazzle you with my finishing ability, but this post is really about what happened to cause this sweater to be a UFO. Generally, I am good about finishing things, but I do have a few UFOs tucked under cushions.

A blog from a couple of weeks ago mentioned that I had finished something - this Mozart Cardigan from Knit One Crochet Too. The Paintbox yarn sucked me in the day I saw it at a LYS. The cardigan pattern was there, it was different, I ignored the 'no ruffle (especially around the waist) rule' and brought it all home.

Memory serves that it knit up very quickly and I enjoyed the process of the bobbles and the ruffles. When it came to putting the sleeves in, I bombed! There were two or three sincere attempts, many measurements, and the whole thing went into a bag and literally sat where I could trip over it for almost a full year. A few weeks ago I pulled it out and took out the sleeve bind-off and re-measured...decided to bind off again VERY loosely and go for it one last time - Voila!

This cardigan reinforced the fact that I mostly knit for process. I don't always choose the practical or functional and sometimes get sucked in by the challenge of a stitch pattern or richness of the color the yarn is dyed. I am good with knowing this and accept it whole heartedly. However, I have decided that this year I will make conscience decisions to knit with SOME functionality in mind (thus the change in my pattern for the Briar Rose KAL).

The Mozart Cardigan will suffice and I will wear it, but it will never be my favorite sweater. Thanks to my Hubs who took many photos for this sweater post. I could never have loved any of the photos no matter how good they turned out because of the subject matter.

Note to self: Regardless of the size of the ruffle and the placement, it will always make your butt look bigger!

What's a girl to do?

My name is Kim and I am a knitter!

I've had one of those weeks we all dread. It consisted of too much work and not enough knit. I've brought it on myself - let me share how...

My partner in crime and I have been preparing for a very important off-site for work. We scrunched in the prep it usually takes 30+ days into less than a week and I am physically exhausted. My knitting has paid the price! During introductions we were supposed to say what we do for fun and I said.........work! Seriously, work IS fun for me and I do it for the fun, but I found myself thinking of knitting as it became the person next to me's turn to talk about what they do for fun.

Truthfully, there are a few other things that I could have listed - watching NBA basketball (I am loyal to the Pacers, but miss Reggie Miller incredibly - so does the team!), watching movies, spending time with my kids ranks extremely high, and there is my PASSION - knitting. I can watch a movie or a game on TV and knit, I can watch my kids play whatever the sport of the moment is and knit, sometimes I can even play cards with the kids and knit...this is how I know it is my passion.

I know work IS fun because I didn't work for awhile before/after we moved here and I've been off since during some medical recoveries and I MISS work. So, I told the truth, but not all of the truth and I felt guilty for not being honest to share it all. So, what's a girl to do?

I found TWO yarn shops very near the conference center after we wrapped for the day and did what any sensible knitter does when they don't have time to knit - I bought more yarn!

4 skeins of Interlacements Tiny Toes, 2 skeins of Rowan Tapestry, 1 skein of Mountain Colors Mountain Goat...Oh, and most importantly, my 2nd skein of Briar Rose Fibers Legend came in this week.

Now that I've aired my dirty little secret, I realize that I have a long weekend. I will work a little, but I shall knit a lot!

By the way, the offsite - it was a wild success which goes to prove once again - Knitters Rule!
----signed, The Queen

I braved the snowy tundra

I am a big, huge wimp! I admit it, I don't like the snow. Ok, it was pretty today, but give me warm weather!

Truth be told, I went outside because I knew that Kristy would so appreciate a few photos of the snow and I wanted to send a little cheer her way - I'm thinking of you.

Since I ventured outside, I also took the beginning of my Briar Rose KAL project - see...


My goodness, this is the softest yarn and the colors are incredible, more so now that it is wound. I began by designing a sweater with cables but quickly deduced that they over powered the beauty of the yarn and opted for a fitted 'v' neck pullover. I know I will wear it all of the time - it is destined to be my favorite sweater!

Blogger has been a butt-head today and I hope they are getting their stuff together. Haven't we endured enough headache already?

My Scarf Pal

I can almost see the heads shaking back and forth as they think to themselves that they thought the scarf exchange was over. I was lucky to make a wonderful new friend who knit a beautiful scarf for me. In an attempt to return the favor, I made a scarf for Kristy. Some teasing was in order which resulted in my sending her the above photo of her scarf - hee hee.

The post office was closed yesterday, but an e-mail just showed up that confirms that Kristy has finally received her scarf. Which means I can post this REAL photo!!! The pattern was knit by Dave for his ISE3 scarf pal and I loved the pattern and ordered it from The Knitspot. When I decided the time had come to return Kristy's scarf favor, there were two balls of Rowan Felted Tweed that had called my name for no reason and had been just sitting on a shelf - they were perfect!

I've been wanting to post a picture of something finished - other than a Christmas present - finally!

For our next feat: Kristy and I are participating in the Briar Rose Fibers KAL. I found out what fiber she ordered today (I will not spoil the surprise) and I am knitting in Legend. I must make myself sit long enough to devise a pattern for this fabulous yarn. I'm thinking 'sweater' and haven't found a pattern that I love enough to share with my yarn...I'm to the point that I feel I must write one myself.

What a perfect ending to a less than perfect day!