More bits from Gem

I spent the majority of my day yesterday spinning away. I spun and plied some more of a pink that I died a few months ago.

This is a picture of the old ones on the left and the one from yesterday on the right (you can click to enlarge and/or you have to take my word for it that the far right is the nicest).

I must say I'm pretty proud. Here is a pic of one of the strands over my pinky finger. Of course you can see that they aren't all the same and there are still some lumpy bits but every time I try it gets a bit easier.

Kate is such a funny dog. While I was plying she decided she wanted attention. She decided to sniff at my singles and then try to bite them. I have only ever seen cats do that before. Particularly the cats at my bf's house who couldn't care less about acrylic but leave your sea silk out or in a bag they can get through...forget it. Cats I understand but a dog? I couldn't help but laugh at her.

One thing I'm still trying to get figured out is how to get the same amount of singles on each bobbin. Do you weigh your fibre first and divide it in half? or what? I just don't know. Any suggestions?

A non-knitting weekend

This weekend was another weekend of dog sitting. Which so far has meant that I do a LOT of knitting and not much else. The only knitting was this:

I'm not big on the picture but the only other ones around were the dogs and they have trouble wearing hats. Maybe a scarf or two but they aren't big on the hats.

Date Started: January 25th 2007.

Date Finished: January 27th 2007.

Just a plain 2x2 rib to match the scarf that I did for Christmas 2005. It got so cold here last week that I thought...I really need a hat. I must say that I had to force myself to rib for far enough and it was just barely enough to cover my ears.

The reason there has been no knitting really is because I have been getting better acquainted with my lil' gem.

I bought my wheel back in September and haven't had a lot of time to play. I was a little rocky off the start again but it started to come back. I think this was my best bobbin of singles yet(done this morning). It is now plied with what I did yesterday and hanging in the basement.

I would like you to meet the other girls that live in my house. My puppies...who are both a few years past puppy.



The black and brown one is Carlie. She is about 11 years old now in people years and a very lovable darlin'. The all black one is Kate, she is new to the house since my grandma moved out of her house and into a retirement home.

So far she has been adjusting well. She has been with us a few weeks now and she wasn't used to spending that much time with another dog and quite frankly didn't like to share. We had a few growls and a few snaps but that seems to have subsided. She is becoming very affectionate and they both push each other around to get the attention. And yes she is sitting right on my lap.

As for knitting related content... I have been working on the 2nd Cabled Jacket and am getting close to the decreases on both sleeves.

I need new socks

It seems that I am determined to finish a pair of new socks for myself. The easiest way to do that of course is to finish one of the many unfinished pairs that I have started but no.... I had to start a new pair. So I started the Reptillian Lace Socks and have almost finished the first sock.

I keep telling myself I need to be knitting the DB Jacket for Connie and I have been working on it but I think that after knitting a sweater I just need a pair of socks. Is that strange. Does anyone else trade off a big project for a smaller project?

Pictures as promised

I told you that I started this beading thing out on the beaded scarf. This is that scarf.

I continued the pattern even further until I finished the beading part and then decided to do this instead.

So far I like the pattern. I'm using a size 6 bead instead of an 8. For no reason other than that is what I had. I'm using a 2.5mm needle because of the size of the bead. I thought it looked a little big so I decreased four stitches two on each side and I am happy with it so far. Last night I got to the heel flap. Thought it looked like a short sock but was worried about having enough beads so I kept knitting the heel flap. Then realised that I missed a whole pattern repeat. Oops! so I ripped it out and then went to bed to pick up where I left off today.

I love beads!

Yes Meghan I have officially been converted. I love beading in my knitting! Unfortunately I do not have my camera because I have forgotten it at school since Tuesday. When I get it back I will show you what I have been up to. I wish there were more than 180 beads on a sock (there is 4 every other row).

Yesterday I was so sick! I slept the whole day away. I came home from work around 9:30am and went right to bed then slept through until 1pm. Then I moved from my bed to the couch, out again until 3pm. Then back to my bed until 4pm and then I was fine. Strange.

I keep thinking how much I'm looking forward to the house being ready. I love my family but just now my mom came home and said to me. "You're actually doing work?" and then couldn't understand why that offended me. She said that usually I would have my knitting needles in my hands.

Tonight is my night by myself to watch Grey's Anatomy and CSI all by myself with my knitting...sigh....heaven on earth.

To string or not to string

Why is it that as a knitter every time you cast a few things off and you think you are progressing on those UFO's, you are met with the NEED to cast on for more. So much for my new years resolution. Perhaps they are made to be broken.

I have wanted to learn how to do beaded knitting since I saw the Reptillian lace Sock pattern Knitty. So on the weekend Connie and I took the beaded scarf class at Unwind with the wonderful Meghan.

{Pretend there is a picture here I couldn't get it to upload}

It was a lot of fun but I began to wonder how much I would wear the beaded scarf. So I have ripped it out. I know I'm a little nuts but now I am going to use the same yarn and the same beads for the socks.

I am now faced with only once question. To string or not to string. The pattern says to string on your beads so they will sit in between the stitches. Meghan showed us not only this way of beading but a way that makes the bead sit so nicely at the front of the work and you do not string them all on at once. So if I want to use her way on the sock I will have to watch my chart and figure out which stitch I want the bead to sit on. hmmm.

Just rollin' along

Finished Aaron's Slippers

Pattern: Basic Toe Up Sock

Yarn: Mission Falls 1824 Wool

Needles: 3.5 Pony Pearls

Date Started: November 14, 2006.

Date Finished: January 13, 2007.

I would show you a picture of them on his feet but he is taking up more than 2/3 of the couch sleeping and has been for the last two hours. I know there will be many more nights like this in our future when we get into the house. Particularly those times when he is working the evening shift and then gets up to do a Saturday day shift. I have to say I was very tempted to take a picture and put in on this post to match his slippers but I don't think he would be very happy about that in the morning.

In the background is the laptop that technically is his but has lived at my house since October. I did give it back for a week and was surprised at how much I missed having the mobility. Laying in bed reading blogs, working on the computer while sitting on the couch. All much nicer than sitting at a desk in the cold unfinished basement.

What determination can do!

Another finished object. I am on a roll.

Pattern : Natalya Gauntlets

Yarn : Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran

Needles: Crystal Palace Bamboo 4.5mm

Date Started: I have no idea anymore over a year

Date Finished: January 12, 2007.

I don't know what to say about these but there is no way they should have taken me this long. It was sheer laziness. Now I have a bunch of socks the Rupunzel Cardi and another Cabled Jacket.

Whew!! I better get going TGIF!

I will be warm

A few more ends to weave and a few buttons to find but all in all.

She be done!

Date Started : December 29, 2006.

(While watching Grey's on DVD with Connie)

Date Finished : January 10, 2007.

(While on Vacation)

Pattern -Debbie Bliss Cable Jacket from the Cashmere Collection

Yarn: DB Superchunky Cashmerino (17 balls not 15 like they said)

Needles : 6mm Boyle circs and 7mm Addi Turbo

My original thought was that I would be wearing this tomorrow but I am tired and there are still those ends and what can I say I needed a break.

So close I can feel the heat

I am so excited about the Cabled Jacket. Not only is this the first thing I have knit for myself since Christmas knitting but it is my first big project in a while. And when I say big I mean this sweater is BIG!

I am knitting the collar now so the raglan seams and neck have been seamed. It is a little awkward to knit with the mass of the sweater in your lap. Not to mention quite warm. Like curling up with a large blanket.

Which is of course perfect because I seem to always be cold. I don't think it is just me because I know others around me comment on being cold as well but we are assured that the heat is on and working. Ok so maybe it is just me but a cabled jacket would make it all better yes? (or it could all be in my head because I'm determined to have it!)

I have about another 4 inches of ribbing to do, then side and sleeve seams and some ends. Then she be done. Depending on my day tomorrow and what time I get home from work. The gang at Unwind may get a preview in it's almost finished state.

A little bit of history

My parents were gone to my grandmother's house to start to go through some things and get ready to have all of the furniture moved. They were going through some things and found me this.

Hand knits for Men and Women in Service... also practical styles for war victims.

I love the slogans!

"Knit during your spare time. Thousands of Canadian women are knitting things for the soldiers. There are organizations everywhere ready to tell you what is needed and how to knit it."
"Be Courteous to 'the boys'. Wherever you meet a man wearing his country's uniform, lets lend a helping hand."

Also there are pages of organizations that are listed as helping out. Being a Canadian magazine it is neat to see the women's groups from Toronto area that were involved and given mention.

What a fun find. I has some great basic patterns particularly for mittens and things that could be useful but overall just kinda fun to have. I also found a hand written pattern for a basic sock tucked in the book.

As far as the Cabled Jacket goes I have been a little discouraged since my yarn problems (this is the first time I have had this problem with Debbie Bliss yarn. One of the reasons I wanted to use this yarn was because I have had such good experiences with DB yarn.) But I am knitting the second sleeve. Here is the progress and the first sleeve.

I have also been itching to knit socks again. After racing the Christmas deadline I didn't want to look at another sock. Now even a basic sock calls to me. Connie makes me want to cast on some new socks because she always has such interesting socks on the go. But I am sticking to my new years resolution to finish the unfinished things that I have. Other than the Cabled Jacket of course but I am working fairly consistently on that still. I will be strong and I will persevere.

An angry moment

Why do we pay money for yarn that comes with knots and .....apparently in pieces??? I have been knitting like a maniac on the DB Cabled Jacket and I splurged for the Superchunky Cashmerino. Connie and I have both found that there are knots in the balls a little more often then once in a while. When she mentioned to me that she found the knots quite a problem I had only had one....now I have had significantly more than one.


And then last night while I had the house to myself I was knitting away and I came to this interesting mess.



Why are there so many ends on this ball of yarn??? I dunno but it didn't look right to me so as I got closer to the end I rewound the ball only to find this.



Yes that is a whole separate piece of yarn in the end. YUCK! it is 135cm/53inches Aaron and I measured. Aaron says I should take it and *a few expletives* At 15-20$ a ball that just shouldn't happen. Grrrrrrr.

Vacations are for knitting

I have another 5 days before I go back to work and I can't imagine not spending all day everyday knitting. I will probably miss knitting more than I did before I had my vacation.

I have finished the back and one side of the Cable Jacket. It is so yummy and I can't stop working on it. Please let me have enough yarn.

Frustration Station

Friday night Connie and I cast on the Debbie Bliss Cabled Jacket in Cashmerino Superchunky. We were slightly discouraged by the way the pattern was written. We both found it a little hard to follow at first. Once we got going we both agreed that knitting at 11pm had clouded our judgement of the sweater and we knit along happily. Until I got to the raglan decreases for the sleeves.

I spent all day yesterday worried, frustrated, and a little bit angry. I think I spent more time with my knitting sitting in my lap puzzling over how far to keep going and how many stitches to decrease.

I did my math and I asked others in the house and even made outside calls to Connie. We all agreed that the math just didn't add up. We searched the internet, we were sure there had to be other decreases somewhere, this was another mistake in the pattern that was not corrected in the revisions.

Turns out there are more decreases that happen naturally with the pattern rows and the numbers do work out. ALL DAY!!! So much wasted knitting time.

I do however ring in the new year with the back of the Cabled Jacked (no pictures because I do not have my camera at the bf's house). From now on I will have more faith. I must have been so hung up on the other corrections to the pattern and Fridays frustration with the format of the pattern that I knew this had to be another problem. After all it could not just be me could it?