Vacation Knitting

Now that my dear child is out of school for the holidays I am on vacation. Woohoo!  While I like my job at the big Orange Box.  There is a need every so often to not go into work for a week and I am fortunate to work for a company who understands the need for vacation time.   So, I'm hanging with the kidlet for a week +.  It's all good because it's going to be a creative week.  I purchased a couple of tubs about double the size of a shoe box and threw in a bunch of kid crafty stuff.  You know, ribbons, beads, buttons, pipe cleaners, etc.  I can put the tubs out for her and I can do my crafty things at the same time.  To get started we did a combo project.  Created by Em. Arranged by Mommy.

While Em was exploring her new tools for making things Mommy spent time knitting some very girly things for Em's bath time. 

Em, is very fond of pink.  I have heard on more than one occasion that,"I love pink in my heart, Mommy."  To say I am not a girly girl is a massive understatement.  My child is a girly girl.  I will support this girliness even if it is not my style. I am slowly working my way into this.  And so there are the washcloths for the bath.  The patterns are very basic but she is all excited to use them.  I tried to go all pink but I just couldn't do it.  Easing my way into it, remember?  Honestly, she's into the pink and black.  She is my child and has been surrounded by the color black her entire life.

Also, on the needles is a project for Gramma.  It is the KISS Triangle Shawlette.  The pattern calls for a fingering weight yarn.  I'm doing it in Caron Simply Soft in the Soft Blue Colorway.  I want it to be a full out shawl.  Mom has been talking about how her shoulders get cold in the winter.  She said she wanted something basic like the grey one I had worked previously.  Well, I had done that and wanted to do something pretty as well.

This photo is a few days old and it now fills the needles.  It's a fun knit and I can't wait to see it blocked.  

I started this during a lunch break at work the Monday or Tuesday before Xmas.  I had been about a week without a project and was anxious to get going.  I had everything ready in my project bag with one little exception. 

As I reread the pattern I realized that I need stitch markers.  I haven't used them in the past too often because I haven't done a pattern so complicated that I need them.  This pattern is simple enough but keeping track of where I am makes a difference in this one. I'm a lone knitter at lunch and instead of spending 40 minutes bored out of my mind I venture out into the Orange Box to see what kind of substitute I can find.  There were only two departments where I thought I could find something.  Hardware was a bust. The only thing they had were key rings but they were way too big. Then I remembered the o-rings in plumbing. That's it!  They are little black rubber rings that keep water from leaking from faucets.  We have various sizes. I wasn't smart enough to bring the needles with me but I settled on a #7 o-ring from Danco.  I will probably go to a smaller size in the future but for $2.27 I am perfectly happy.

This is also a pattern where I am for the most part following the pattern with the exception  of adding a couple of repeats.  I want this to be big and snuggly.

This is all for now.  Next up, my wishes/resolutions for 2012.

I'll Take Knitting Techniques for the Block

I will freely admit that I am a process knitter.  It is a form of meditation that calms my mind and takes me out of myself while at the same time being productive.  Which is why I have this little pile...

One is a basic pink and cream stockinette scarf to go with the hat I made earlier.  The other is my first attempt at a triangle shawl.  I really want to do more shawls and my favorites all tend to be triangle shawls.  I did this in some Simply Soft I had on hand to figure out the structure of the increases and yarn overs.  They really need to be blocked and the way the holidays are keeping me busy it won't be until after Xmas that I'll be able to do it.  Fortunately, it's been surprisingly warm for December in Tulsa.  Em, doesn't need the scarf just yet.

And then there's this...

I have a great idea for a girly little hat for Em made out of this Merino 5 #9816 by Crystal Palace Yarns.  I want to make a bigger floppier hat than what I've made previously.  I have 24" and 32" circular needles and about a hundred stitches to start.  Magic loop doesn't work so well with that many stitches.  I tried.  I tried three times.  The yarn on the needles kept twisting and I just couldn't get it to work.  Apparently, this yarn needs to be knit in a traditional round.  Drat!  I don't have a short enough needle to do this.  I went to Knit Picks to get a shorter needle in size 7.  They are out until I don't know when.  All it says it "Available Soon."  Double Drat!

I don't know what to do now.  I can work in a few minutes here and there to do some knitting especially during lunches.  I keep thinking about this hat and how I might make it be something my daughter would love to wear.  I need something to knit.  My hands are all itchy twitchy now.

See that little ball of yarn above my frustrated ball?  That is exactly how far I got before I hit a knot.   PreDrat!