No thanks...

Sorry, still no pics, as we are still in the midst of a data transition...

We have been sick in Chet Skeinsville for what seems like an ETERNITY. I feel like all I have done this whole winter season is wipe snot! And it never seems as though it is going to stop! OH! And to top of my pissy mood? IF I HAVE ONE MORE F'ING TISSUE GO THROUGH THE WASH, I AM GOING TO LOOSE MY F'ING MIND!
I had a pocket full of tissues go through the washer AND the dryer, on a dark load ... i cannot even START to tell you how bad I freaked out about it. I am still mad about it.

As E.B. put it : "I have been prostrated by the agony of the damned..."
Deadwood anyone? I have been watching it A LOT lately.

I have too many irons in the fire. I have some Etsy plans that need to start rolling,
I still have two more baby gifts to start, and I am trying to wrap up the Never Ending Baby Outfit.
I have been torn lately on what to do with the other 2 items I am planning to make. The person I am making the Never Ending Baby Outfit for is a new good friend of mine. She always LOVED the little outfit Big Boy used to wear, and I vowed to myself that I would make her one if she ever had another baby. My reasoning was this ... it is not that often that you find someone who REALLY appreciates, and ENJOYS hand made gifts.
I have not written about my recent knitting projects because my yarny foundation
has unraveled a little over the past few months.
I wanted to make 2 more little baby gifts for friends of mine that I have had for YEARS. The problem is this ... That beautiful BSJ i made for my cousin's baby? Never heard ONE WORD about it after I gave it to them.
It is one thing to hand a gift directly to a person, and have them thank you right there on the spot. But this gift was left with his parents to pass on to him. I know the gift was transferred to them too, because I asked his folks :).
I have heard nuthin'. Nada. If they didn't like it, fine, they didn't have to say "it is hard to say thanks because we hated the colors". A simple thank you would have been nice.
I have had this happen TWICE this year.

I don't think that my knitted gifts are so wonderful that they have to be put up on a pedestal,
under spotlights and glass. I also don't make these things and then set back and wait for the accolades to pour in. No, I make these gifts because I feel as though the stitches I form are bound together by love. So much of me goes into the items I make and give away!

The things that I make, I feel, hug that baby with the warmth and love I feel for that child. I constantly find myself let down because I would think that another person could at least see the specialness in what was made for them. This is why I am now trying to decide whether I should even "waste my time" on the two other gifts.
I am tired of getting my feelings hurt.
Sometimes I think that people have become so accustomed to getting
cookie-cutter-made-in-China-pieces-of-crap, that they don't really know HOW to receive something that they can't take back if they don't like it. I would have thought that I would at least get a "Thank You" via his parents had my cousin said "wow, that is nice she made this for us!"

I don't know what to do. I love making the baby things for those special little people, and this alone tells me that I should just go ahead and make the little things. But I get SO ATTACHED to what I make, and to the WHY I am making it, then my stinkin' feelings get hurt when I that little gem goes unappreciated. I wish I could just let the item go, and say "here's your gift ... DONE! Start next item in the queue, and I am gonna make something FOR ME this time!".

This is how we do it!

Anyone else get that cheesy bit'o early 90's music reference? I don't know why my mind goes places like that, but at least it is a fun place! Yup, Cheese Queen, that's me.

I won't even try to fully explain my way out of why it has been so long since I last updated. How about this, I will partially explain. Two children under three ... lots of cold, lots of snow ... trapped indoors for long periods of time ... lot's of going to big box stores to walk around and get some sort of exercise ... and finally, the creeping crud illnesses that WILL NOT STOP ... oh, and Little Boy is getting EIGHT TEETH all at once. Yes, all 4 eye teeth, and all 4 molars AT ONCE. 'Nuff said.

I have been productive, though. I got both baby sweaters done, and gifted. The first went to my friend's baby.

Baby Sweater by Jean Leinhauser
US 4 / 3.5 mm
Cotton Linen mix on a 5 lb cone

I love this pretty little sweater. It looks more complicated than it is (bonus!). I changed the pattern a little bit so I could knit it in the round (bonus! bonus!), which made the whole thing seamless (BONUS, CUBED!). I loathe sewing up seams. The only thing to sew on this was the picot edging around the neck and hem, and that was not too bad.

And now, for the BSJ...

Baby Surprise Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmermann

US 7 / 4.5 mm
Plymouth Encore Colorspun DK

Isn't it amazing how 100 different people can read the same words, and 100 different interpretations can be derived from the same words? Everything (and especially written instructions) can be subject to interpretation. All I can say is that I had trouble processing the written instructions for this pattern. I ended up having to figure out a way to place, and maneuver stitch markers so that I could actually SEE what was happening with each row. The markers actually provided a way for me to count the stitches on my needles, as they are written in the pattern. This was not possible for me before I placed the markers.

If you are coming here from my Ravelry post, some of this will sound familiar. I love the finished product ... BUT ... I had a HELL of a time with this pattern in the beginning! I think I tore this out almost 4 times! Every single time, it all seemed to go to hell between rows 9 and 13. When I would go to count my stitches, I could not tell which were the worked SK2P stitches, and then I could not tell if I made a mistake (especially when adding those M1's nine times on row 11). Things started to get better when I found this post http://autumnblossomknits.wordpress.com/2008/01/26/baby-s... which lead me to BSJ notes written by Dawn Adcock http://www.3gcs.com/adcock/BSSNotes.pdf

what I ended up doing was this...

CO 160 and placed a marker between stitches (sts) number 34 and 35, 37 and 38, 86 and 87, 89 and 90. So, once you are casted on, you needle stitches look like:

Row 1: 34sts (marker) 3sts (marker) 86sts (marker) 3sts (marker) 34sts.
The three sts between the markers are not counted when working the 34, 86, 34 (left, center, and right sections) of the pattern.

So, getting down to business, say we are on line 3 ...

K33, pm, SK2P,pm, K84, pm, SK2P,pm, K33.

Once you are finished with row 3, and you are about to start row 4, remember that the SK2P reduces three stitches to one, and you will need three stitches to perform the SK2P on row 5.
Okay, so when you go to work row 4 (the even row side), knit until you reach one stitch before the marker (knit 32 stitches),

** place a new marker, k1, remove old marker, k1, remove old marker, k1, place new marker**.

There should now be 3 sts between the markers. Now continue knitting (knit 84 stitches) until you are one stitch before the next old marker, and go back up to **. When you finish the even row, and you look over what you just knitted, there will be a marker on either side of three stitches. These will be the stitches that you will be SK2Ping on the next row.

Now you will be able to keep track of the stitches on each side of the SK2P stitches, and you will be able to keep track of the number of middle stitches. Do this "marker thing" all the way to row 46, when the Dawn Adcock instructions tell you to place the markers in a different way because of the new increases.

I have probably confused so you so badly that you are running from you computer, yarn trailing behind you in a tangled mess. Sorry. I hope not. All I know is that I was getting really frustrated with this pattern, and I know that there were a few folks out there beating their heads against the wall with me. I am just trying to throw a "rescue ring" out there for any others who may be at their wits end.

Now, for the BSJ FO details. The contrasting edge on my BSJ was actually out of necessity as I ran out of yarn at ROW 110! Yes, four rows from the end! I thought I would DIE. Luckily I had some matching yarn laying around to finish up. I was shocked to find that I actually liked the way this jacket looks with the contrasting edge! I did an I-cord edging all the way around, including the neck. I then joined the sleeve tops with a three-needle bind off … both techniques I found on knitty.com. After I got it all done, I wished I could keep this for my little guy! Maybe when I finish some more projects, I will make him one for next year. The only thing I will change with the next one I make are the type of decrease stitches I will use - I am not a huge fan of the way the SK2P’s look (just my personal opinion).

I am reaching the end of my brain power for the night, and I can already hear my thought processes powering down. Next time, I might have finished Vogue Spring/Summer Short Sleeve Cardigan (#19) by Shiri Mor to share with you!

Until then, happy 'nittin.
Or unhappy, whichever you choose.

In the moment.

Oh brrrrrr. It seems as though I am drinking so much tea lately. These cold, damp days really make me hanker a nice hot cuppa-T. Usually, I just reach for my old stand-by, Red Rose; but recently I decided to branch out a little bit and I purchased a few "new" teas.

Coconut Pouchong from Golden Moon Tea.

Ingredients: Grand Pouchong Tea Leaves, essence of coconut.

Vanilla Black Tea from Taylors of Harrogate
Ingredients: a blend of fine black tea with vanilla and sunflower petals.

Pear Honey from Golden Moon Tea (not pictured)

Revolution: variety tea sampler.
(Earl Grey Lavender, Tropical Green, Sweet Ginger Peach, White Pear, and English Breakfast)

The Coconut Pouchong is simply delightful! I never before have known of coconut in tea, and wow, here it is. You open the container, and the coconut essence is just heady! It is described as being "serene, and light ... with the coconut instilling a tropical sweetness in this exquisite bouquet..." 100% exact. The tea leaves are high quality, and brew up nicely. Actually, I accidentally over steeped (steeped the hell out of) some last night (bedtime bedlam began), and it was still really good by the time I got back to it (15 minutes or more). Now, this may have been due to the small, one cup quantity I was steeping; but, nonetheless, it was still TASTY, coconutty, and not bitter at all.

I must admit that I was quite apprehensive trying a Pouchong tea variety, because the name sounded way too similar to a Lapsoung (Lapsang) Souchong I once tried. Yeah, there is a reason I now call I now call Lapsoung Souchong, "Lhasa Apso tea". It tasted like a smoky, wet dog. I thought I was going to DIE. This is the very tea served in the waiting room of Hell, I am sure of it. Yet, I digress .... where was I?

The Vanilla Black Tea is quite tasty, but I have only made one cup of it, and I think I over-steeped it because IT:WAS:STRONG. Too strong. I don't think this was the tea's fault though. I was negligent. Despite my over doing it, this tea reminded me a lot of Chai, without all of the complexities. I will make this again and give a diatribe later.

The Pear Honey from Golden Moon Tea, I gave away to my Ravelry Tea Swap partner. She seemed to be quite pleased with it, so I am going to dash out tonight or tomorrow and score me some.

As for the Revolution teas; so far, I have only tried the Tropical Green Tea (dragonwell green tea, blended with pineapple flavor and citrus peel...) and the The Sweet Ginger Peach (a blend combining the taste of peaches, and ginger root with Ceylon and Assam Teas..). I was intrigued by this brand of teas because the name makes me think "hummm, they sound really responsible.." but when I opened the box I found the tea packaged in a little "plastic" mesh pyramid tea bag. We compost, and I compost all of my tea and used tea bags, so I was immediately taken back. Well I did some sleuthing and came up with this interesting description how their little mesh infuser bags are 100% biodegradable! Wow, nice!

The Tropical Green was fine, but not very rememberable. I attribute this to the fact that I was drinking it Christmas Eve, and I was a little stressed that night - read above post. The Sweet Ginger Peach was nice as well. Quite nice peach taste, without the harsh tannins and totally fake peach that some other peach flavored black teas have.

The only thing that kind of hacks me off is that the whole reason I bought this sampler box is because it was the ONLY ONE that had a sample of the White Pear Tea. Well, not MY box. Instead of the White Pear Tea, I ended up with two of the Tropical Greens. It is not like I don't like the Tropical Green, I just really wanted to get my taste buds wrapped around that Pear Tea! I guess one positive thing that comes out of this is that I am getting another chance to try the Tropical Green and come up with a better decision on it.

Earlier I spoke of Red Rose: Here is the newest addition to my Wade Figurine Frenzy.

I am still making my way through the Stash teas given to me by my tea swap partner. I will critique those later. I feel like moving on to other news right now.

FO! SOCKS! Although I am quite pleased with my PGR recipe for the invisible cast on toe. I am equally pleased with the "same as the toe, heel". What I am really irked about is the fact that it took me until the second sock to really get down grafting off at the top edge.

Egad! I should have practiced this technique before getting down to business on the real, actual sock. I was just so sure that I could just wing it and make it happen. Funny thing about grafting off ... once you start, there really is no turning back; at least not for me. The first sock (the unintentional guinea pig) is quite noticeably different than the second "got the hang of it by now" sock. I am not unhappy enough to tear it out though. Honestly, the beautiful yarn, and the glove-like fit, cancel out the top edges. The colors are so saturated that they are very hard to capture. I think that the above photo comes the closest to showing the actual colors.

The above photo was taken with a flash,
and does nothing for the colors.
Don't handmade socks look funny before they are blocked?

Now that my wonderfully warm Diakeito socks are done, I can start on my baby tasks. As of New Year's Eve, 4 babies have been born, and 6 more are on the way. All 6 are due between now and August. And how far along am I into my list of babies things to make?

The HUGE 5 pound spool of cotton/linen boucle
was an e-Bay purchase made about 5 years ago.
The seller actually sent this spool to me by accident (!)
and told me to keep it since it was his mistake.

That is it. That is all I have done. Good lord. At this rate I will never catch up. This little cutie will go to whomever is born first. Baby #1 is due the last week of January, baby #2 is due the first week of February. Baby #3 April, babies #4 and #5 (i think) June, baby #6 August. Baby #6 though, is not going to get a hand-knit. His family is going to get a homemade meal. He is baby #3, and although every baby is special and deserves something new, they have everything they need for a new baby ... what they are really going to need is ready-made food so that the new momma does not have to cook right away.

I have made this little sweater tons of times before, and I know I can turn one of these out in a day or two. I am going to try to make the matching booties as well, but we will see how much time I will get. Depending on my time, I might make these for the first two impending births, and for the next babies, a few of them might get the BSJ! I got my hands on a pattern when I went to Knitters Mercantile in November, and I have been chomping at the bit to start it. I am a little apprehensive at the learning curve, so I would rather tackle it when I am not feeling pressured. I think that between the February baby, and the April baby, I can get one or two done.

Oh, and last but not least ... everybody, meet Rufus.
He has to have been the BEST Christmas present EVA!
He's a PURSE!
How cool is that?