Fabulous Feather

Busy Week

It has been a very busy knitting week!  First off check out the sweat shirt!    This morning I wove in the ends for the front, back and sleeves, soaked them for an hour and then blocked them.  The i-cord has been completed and the hood is started. 

Last Monday, my Knit Happens order arrived.     The yarn wil be used to make Marlowe.     Here is a close up of the yarn.  The light purple will be the main color. 

On Wednesday I went to Knit Happens with two gals in the office.  We all left with beautiful yarn. I got three balls of Debbie Bliss's alpaca silk to make my FF's grandmother a scarf for her 90th birthday.  I also could not leave without a hank of the noro transitions yarn to make a scarf for me.  I initially picked the hank out for the gift for his grandmother, but since her favorite colors are light blue and cranberry, I thought that the alpaca silk was a better bet.  I am going to add some cranberry yarn from stash to the fringe.   

Finally, on Tuesday I placed an order with Knit Picks that arrived on Saturday.  This is the start of Christmas knitting.  One book has a fair isle hat pattern that I am going to knit as a present, there is some inexpensive palette yarn that will be used to make ornaments and a couple of books. 

Last week I also bought three amaryllis bulbs.  This is the earliest that I have found them.  They are already starting to grow, so hopefully they will bloom in December! 

I am off to knit.  Have great week!

Happy Monday!

Today is Columbus Day, a Federal Holiday and I have it off!  It has been a great weekend.  This was the first time in weeks that we did not have back to back, day long commitments.  On Saturday morning FF and I cleaned the house (hence the de-cluttering prep work earlier in the week). That afternoon we went to his grandmother's home with his son to see his mothers cousins who were in town from Ohio and Reno.  Yesterday I ran errands, he lounged and then we went to Al's greenhouse.  I roasted a chicken for dinner and made gravy for the first time.  FF loved the meal!    Today I am going to do a little computer work, shop for a birthday gift for my Mom and knit.  As of 8:20 this morning I have already knit another three inches on the first sleeve of the sweat shirt!

Here was last week's "will do list".

1. Finish front of sweatshirt by Sunday, 10/9. Completed on 10/9!

This is a shot of the front and back.  The ends are hidden here.  They will be woven in today.

2. Mail sister in law thank you not for book and sample flower by 10/5. Completed 10/4!

3. Twenty minutes house de-cluttering Monday - Thursday. Done on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.  Sunday subs in for Wednesday since I am meeting a friend for dinner tomorrow night.  I get bonus points for sticking to it Monday night when FF tried to get me stop so he wouldn't feel like he needed to do it too.  The whole house was cleaned top to bottom on Saturday!

4.Catch up on laundry - before bedtime, 10/6.  Completed on schedule.

5. Graft toe of second green sock, weave in ends. 10/8  Done! Tadaa!!    I plan to mail them up to Mom this week with her birthday gift.  Th eone on the left looks a little long in the photograph but seems fine in real life.

6. Order birthday gift for Bobbi 10/4 Completed 10/4! I got her subscription to Wild Fibers magazine!

Here is a shot of the first sleeve as of 3:15 Sunday afternoon.  I also started the i cord for the hood while en route to FF's Grandmother's home on Saturday.  The cord is now 29" long and needs to be at least 40".     Here is the same sleeve as of 8:20 this morning.  I have about 3" - 18 rows before I start the bind off process. 

On Saturday I also wound up the remaining four balls of Manos so that I am set to finish the sweater.  My cats love the process and to supervise.  They are so cute when the chase the yarn that I thought that I would take pictures of them doing it.  Chloe was in NO mood to cooperate. 

   Here she is stretching outside the fort that  FF created for her.   Here she is fighting the picture taking process.

"Holding the camera upside down is an impressive trick Mom BUT I still do not want to be in your blog today".     "Don't you watch the Capital One commercials? which part of "no" is causing the confusion?"

Fortunately, Al's orchids were more cooperative (it helps that they can't move! Ahh Monday morning humor! ).     

Back to knitting.  On Wednesday I found out from Holly at Knit Happens that the yarn I have chosen for Marlowe has been discontinued and was not available in the store in the colors that I wanted.  I went ahead and placed an order on line on Thursday and added a couple of extra balls just to be safe.  In a worst case scenario I'll have enough to make a scarf.

Over the weekend I decided that I should knit FF's Grandmother a gift for her birthday.  She turns 90 right around Thanksgiving AND she is an avid knitter.  We found out that her favorite colors are light blue and cranberry.  I am trying to find or design a pattern that I can whip by then.  Right now I am leaning towards a scarf since it is going to be a cold winter.  I went stash diving and even started to play with a few ideas.  Nothing seems "right". I would like to have the project nailed down and yarn obtained by 10/23 as I may be able to work on it a little bit while at my conference  I have already promised myself that I will have Marlowe completed and ready to wear on Thanksgiving.  I also want to make one person a sweater for Christmas a nd possibly make a fair isle hat for a second person.

Off the the races!  Have a great week!

Update

Here is a quick update on this weeks "will do" list.

1. Finish front of sweatshirt by Sunday, 10/9. I am 5+ inches into the front. 

2. Mail sister in law thank you not for book and sample flower by 10/5. Completed 10/4!

3. Twenty minutes house de-cluttering Monday - Thursday. Done on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.  Sunday subs in for Wednesday since I am meeting a friend for dinner tomorow night.  I get bonus points for sticking to it Monday night when FF tried to get me stop so he wouldn't feel like he needed to do it too.

4.Catch up on laundry - before bedtime, 10/6.  Not started  yet.

5. Graft toe of second green sock, weave in ends. 10/8  Touched sock -  does that count as starting to graft?!

6. Order b'day gift for Bobbi 10/4 Completed 10/4! I got her asubscription to Wild Fibers magazine!

A List

On Friday Beth asked when I was ever going to post again.  This one is for you, dear.

Way back in March, during my leadership training, the word "try" was considered unacceptable.  I have made a commitment to myself that I will complete the Sweatshirt by the evening of October 24.  By complete, I mean that it will be seamed up, ends woven in and had time to sit in a nice bath for a bit before having all day Tuesday to luxuriate/ lay still and be blocked before then getting into my suitcase when I take off to execute a conference.  To that end, I have a plan.  Today I have completed the and started the front. 

Here is a shot of the back.

Here is the front.     You can see that I am tweaking the pattern.  I have added some shaping.  I am also making the front 1.5 inches wider than the back because I am afraid that I made the back a little to narrow.  I think it'll work out okay.

Here is the plan for the sweatshirt.  By Sunday, 10/9 complete the front and start sleeve #1.  Both sleeves need to be completed by 10/16.  The hood is to be completed by 10/23 at the latest so that the whole thing will be sewn up by Monday.  Ends will be woven in during "I'm too tired to knit periods".  After I start the second sleeve or the hood (the jury is still out), I can order Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran in light purple (main color) and purple (accent color) to make Marlowe.  Kristine featured the sweater on her blog last week and I cannot wait to make it.  I love the shape and and accent color and FF will enjoy the neck line.  The book has a few other patterns that I really,  so I feel like it was a good investment.  Here they are in order of preference after Marlowe.     Carroll could easy be my next sweater after Marlowe, but with longer sleeves.  I like the way hugs the body. 

Next up is Rossetti.    Finally, there is Lear, the scarf.     I also like Bronte (sorry, no picture) but I am afraid it would be too bulky for my frame.

Here is my "will do" list for the week of 10/2.  Some of it is knitting related, some of it is not.  By posting here, I am holding myself accountable and kicking my butt in gear.

1. Finish front of sweatshirt by Sunday, 10/9.

2. Mail sister in law thank you not for book and sample flower by 10/5.

3. Twenty minutes house de-cluttering Monday - Thursday.

4.Catch up on laundry - before bedtime, 10/6.

5. Graft toe of second green sock, weave in ends. 10/8

6. Order b'day gift for Bobbi 10/4

Dinner is ready.  Here is a quick shot of a lace sock I started last week.  It's on hold for now.  What a tease.  It is taking too long to load.  Got to scoot.  Happy knitting!