by the way....

Clover does replace their needles! I just stuck my warped pair into an envelope and mailed them off, anticipating the return of their less crooked, non-splintered replacements. Also, just finished felt a belt-it was initially going to be a strap for a felted bag, but then I ran out of yarn (and stumbled across a belt buckle) KaZam, the two were joined in the wash and now I have a multicolored felted belt-beauty.
This week my sister has been urging me to take photos of my work to post here-I have not yet entered the digital revolution, so my 1960's Minolta is getting the workout of a lifetime and I will need to have the film (yes, actual film) developed onto disc. A process, but I am four shots away from finishing the current roll~maybe by this weekend I can get something posted.
Baby-shrug for niece-to-be : halfway there.
Mohair Hoodie: in the batters box, body done, no sleeves
Mtn. Colors leaf pattern hat: no progress this week
Rib/Cable socks: two rnds. completed on each sock (ehh)
Pauls' Socks: still looking forlorn without any needles through the stitches -see above.
Belt: wham, bam, thank you ma'am: completed in under 24 hours ( a procrastaknitters record!)

12 hour shift, and a broken needle

This weekend I have been covering some wicked midnight to noon shifts for a co-worker that is out of commission. Last night I managed to finish the entire body of the mohair hoodie before I left work, so tonight I brought along the baby shrug for niece to be ~ planning to finish it, of course. But, alas, sometime between between putting my knitting bag into my car and pulling it out when I got to work, I splintered one of my size 2 bamboo needles. My solution? use one of those white file labels to wrap the splinters, and continue knitting. It is slow going, and tedious, but the cuff is done and so is the first pattern repeat. Yeah Me! Now I must earn my wages (translate: yarn money) and finish some paperwork.

the problem with knitting

(the overflowing yarn tower in my personal knitting corner...the rest is stashed under the bed)

Everyday, I work on my current project (the mohair hoodie) to some degree. More often then not, I spend about an hour a day looking through patterns and books for inspiration for the next project. Usually, I start this new project just to see if my ideas will work out. THE PROBLEM IS: I currently have 14 (no lie) projects waiting on needles, AND ALL I WANT TO DO IS GO TO THE YARN STORE FOR MORE PROJECT IDEAS!!!!! When does this cycle stop? never.... no matter how many baby sweaters I finish, someone else announces they are expecting; if I make a particularly stylish hat for one person, there are six more coveting the same hat; if I take a break from gift knitting to make something for myself, the masses are up in arms about their lack of handknit items with my cutesy label on them. I at one point entertained ideas of knitting up a backstock of gifts to have on hand at a moments notice, but usually by the time I am weaving in ends there is someone to gift it to. AHHHH, there is no end......but I still love to knit, and try to learn something new as often as possible.

gorgeous fabulous greenery

so yesterday, I wandered into Diva Yarn in Port Townsend to get some knitting advice for the mohair hoodie I am making from the knowledgeable Teresa, and she attempted to entice me with skeins of great green yarn (my constant indulgence). Beautiful, but I don't have much a yarn budget these days for 110 yard skeins at twelve dollars a pop. After the trip to the LYS, I made a run to the Goodwill in search of the perfect bookshelf for my miniscule bedroom-no shelves, but I did sneak to the yarn corner. AHHHHH, what have we here? Four gigantic enormous bigger-than-my-head balls of green wool in a bag, FOR 5.99 !!!!! It is definately wool, four shades ranging from celery to hunter, and screaming from its current location in the trunk of my car for an immediate meeting with my needles, once I make it back home to Olympia. Fate, yarn style. Sometimes waiting is the best thing to do...and shop thrift stores for these lucky finds.

procrastinating, procrastaknitting

ahh, school, 3 jobs, pretending to be a knitter? I have been doing it all, and forgetting to post about it, so since christmas (my last post) here's a rundown of projects and adventures. Month of March-went to Peru to admire the local yarn and knitters (they are so quick with those dpn's!) bought way too much alpaca and had to purchase another duffel bag to bring it all home in, but you can't beat the prices when you buy direct from the farm in peru. Did you know that they marry their alpacas to one another in order to guarantee long productive lives and softer fleece?
I've been making lots and lots of children/baby clothes, hats and booties, since two siblings and 7 friends have delivered little bundles of joy between february and now~no joke. currently working on a mohair hoodie for myself, using some of the skeins and skeins of cascade leisure I purchased last year when it went off the shelves~although this has taken a back seat to a baby shrug for my next niece to be (using the leaves pattern from the wrap skirt in summer 07 interweave)
More later, with pictures, but have to get cracking on the homework(with my needles at my elbow for when there is nothing to do but read)