I'm in Florida, and somehow my eye got irritated and it's all red and goopy (very gross). Ugh, I'm miserable. Anyway, kids are being pretty good, we're resting in our motel room. Thankfully we're not staying with the in-laws. Gives us a chance to get a break. I've been knitting a little on the back of butterfly. It's coming out pretty nice. Will take a pic soon! Write more later!

Birthday Stash!



I got Debbie Bliss's Book 5, and some Merino DK to do the cable sweater on the cover (it called for cotton cashmere, but they were out of the pink and I thought I'd save a little money). And the blue Baby Cashmerino is for those socks! Can't wait to get started on these projects! :)

My mom finished her bag yesterday and it looks great! I meant to bring my camera to take a picture. She picked out a blue and tan linen fabric to line it in. It really looks professional. She's going to make me a navy blue one, probably lined with blue gingham. Can't wait to see it! She also got some cotton cashmere to do the pajama sachet. She's already started and said it's coming out pretty. Well, that's all for now. Gotta get packed soon, we're going to Florida this weekend. :)

edited to add...
I couldn't resist casting on too see how it would look. Now I can't stop! :)



I can tell I'm going to love this sweater! :)

I finished the right front of Butterfly this morning! :)



Sorry the picture is a little dark. It's very overcast here today. Now should I start the back or a sleeve? Hmm?

My 30th birthday is Monday. 30! I just can't believe it! Anyway, my dad sent me a very nice card with a $300 check in it! :) Can anyone guess where I'm headed tomorrow?? :) My mom started this bag from Debbie Bliss's Simple Living book. She said it's really coming out cute. She's now becoming hooked and wants to make this pajama sachet from the same book. I would love to make these socks from the book. I just love them!! :) Well that's all for now! :) Write more tomorrow!

I was working over the weekend, and it was so busy yesterday that I'm still recuperating! :) I did get some knitting done...

I decided to do Coronet from the Winter 2003 issue of Knitty. Here's my version in red...



I also started a baby blanket for my niece due in December. I'm using the pattern in the Donna Kooler encyclopedia of Knitting. It's pretty cool because it's knit diagonally. I'm just using Bernat's cotton tots, which is nice because it will be soft for the baby. :) Here's a pic of my progress so far...


(sorry picture is a little dark)

I'm also thinking of knitting a plain white one to go with it. Well, that's all for now! I'm going to get back to butterfly this week, I just needed some instant gratification! :)

Finally, a side done! I got the left front done tonight. I decided not to shorten it after all. Now I'm wondering if I should have! Ugh, why is this project giving me such a hard time? Here's the pic...



On a brighter note, I got my silk garden for the Debbie Bliss Scoop-neck cardigan today! :)

Mmmm....




I can't wait to start this cardigan! Maybe I should take a break from butterfly!? :)

edited to add another pic of Butterfly...

the front stripes are matching up somewhat. :)

I'm going insane!! I took out the part on the sixes. I just thought it was too small. I'm doing it over (again) on the eights. Those sixes were cramping my hand anyway! :) I'll have (another) progress pic later. One day I might have a side done! :)

I'm too much of a perfectionist!! I can't help it. I ended up starting over. I had to go down to a size 6 needle to get gauge. I am liking it better though. I am also glad I'm starting over because I really didn't like the green on the bottom. I wanted a darker color on the bottom and I think I'm going to make it a couple inches shorter. So I'm happy now! :)



(edited to add better pic)

Darn! I didn't get gauge with my Butterfly. Once I got to the stockinette part of the front I decided I would go ahead and check it. Unfortunately it was 16 st/4" instead of 18! Argh! Should I leave it? Should I start over? Here's how far I've gotten...



Darn, darn! :)

It's a start....



Here's my Butterfly, I started yesterday on the left front. I restarted a couple times. The first time I cast on way too tight and it was really curling up. It's much better now! :) Well, back to knitting!

Lara is done!! Well, almost done. The knitting is finished, now I just have to sew it up!



I'm so happy to have finished it because I can't wait to start Butterfly!! :)

Well, hopefully the next time I post I have a real finished pic to show!

edited to add...



It's finished!! It took about an hour and a half to seam up. The neck at the back is a little puckery... I think I may take out and redo. It will bug me if I don't! But for now it's staying and I get to start Butterfly later today! :)

Here's a couple more pics, side view....



An ok that's enough pictures view...



That's all for now! Getting ready to go to Strings and Strands (I promise to be good! LOL!). Write more later! :)

edited again to add... I used under 9 (about 8 2/3) balls of the Cashmerino Aran, just in case someone decides to use this!! I have two leftover... maybe I should make a hat or scarf - would be a good christmas present! :)

Well, I haven't really worked on Lara much, but I did get the right front joined to the back. I think I'm doing it right!?



Here's another view...



I decided to put some yarn on eBay. It's the yarn for Rowan's Tipsy. I decided it wasn't for me after all. Hopefully it sells because I ended up buying some Noro Silk Garden in #34 to do that DB Cardigan! :)

Well, I really need to clean. My house is just destroyed!!! After that I'm going to knit, knit, knit!!

The Braves lost. Again. I'm so depressed. That's 3 game 5's I've gone to and they've lost each time. Giants, Cubs, and now Astros. I think I'm bad luck. It was so packed at Turner Field though. They can't say that they're fans aren't behind them anymore. It was the 2nd largest crowd there ever! Well, I don't really care who wins now. I'm going to have to find something else to watch for the next 6 months. Still working on Lara, I'll get a pic soon! :)

I finally got a picture of Pumpkin in his kitty bed. He's just a tad too big! :)



And I got some more done on Lara...



I really hope I'm knitting this right! I feel like sometimes since I'm so new to knitting that I'm knitting blind. It's hard with no one to show me! Oh well, I'm sure once people get further into the knit-along there will be more pics to go by.

Oh, I almost forgot... the Braves won!!! :) I'm going to game 5 tomorrow. They absolutely have to win! This will be the 3rd year in a row going to a game 5 five. They lost both time before, they just have to win for me tomorrow!! :)

GO BRAVES!

I escaped and went to Strings and Strands today. I ended up getting some Kureyon in 148 to do Butterfly. I was going to get some Kid Classic to do Fern, but they didn't have the color I wanted.

Here's a pic of the yarn...



Close up...



It's going to be so pretty, I can't wait!! :) I also got Debbie Bliss's Noro book 1. I love the cardigan on the cover....



Well, unfortunately the Braves lost today. :( Andruw Jones (my favorite player) did get a 3 run homerun today though. Hopefully they win tomorrow, if they don't, they're out of it! Go Braves!!!

Ok, I think I figured it out. I cast on 22 and then start knitting the 84 st. to make 106. And then once it's done the piece that's sticking out is sewn to the back and the other side. It takes a while for brain to get warmed up. :)



Ok, I feel good now that I'm on the right track again. Bye!! :)

Braves won yesterday!!! It was probably one of the most exciting games I've ever watched. Unfortunately they lost the game I went to on Wednesday. It's official... I'm bad luck. They haven't won a playoff game that I've been to yet. I've got tickets for game 5, but I'm not sure if I should go!! LOL!

Well, I've been working on Lara, but I'm stuck. And I messed up and had to frog about 30 rows. Not fun. I got to the left front. But I wasn't sure how I was supposed to be doing it. So I left a message with the Lara-alongers and hopefully I get a response. It's just so frustrating being a newbie knitter. Maybe I should've just stuck with cross stitch, not too many problems come up there! :)



Well, not much else. I have to work today, but I'm off tomorrow! Bring on game 3, GO BRAVES! :)

I made a Kitty Pi today! I went to Knitting Emporium in Kennesaw and picked up some Crystal Palace Iceland (lilac combo). A nice, soft, bulky wool. I wasn't sure how it would felt, but I was very happy with the results....

Before felting...


After felting (being blocked)...


Right-side up...


I made it a little smaller because I knew I wouldn't have enough yarn (I had about 2 yards left over). In the middle I did 20 rounds instead of 30 and then 5 after the decrease instead of 9 and then 3 instead of 5 after the 2nd decrease. Hope my kitty likes it! I like it! :)

P.S. used Lion Brand Fun Fur in a matching blue/lilac for the eyelash on top.

Lara is growing...



and I started a sock!



It will be my first sock, so we'll see how it goes! Wish me luck! LOL! :) Not much else going on. Just work, kids, and knitting! :)

Started Lara on October 1st. I had to rip down about 20 rows though because 1. I had too many increases and 2. I had a little hole that was driving me crazy! So now I'm on the right track again... here's a pic...



The color is lightened some because the sun was shining through the window near where I took the picture. I'm not using the Alpaca Silk. The yarn is pretty nice though.. Cashmerino Aran. Very soft! Well, not much else. Just keeping my eye on the last day of the baseball season. Looks like the Braves may be playing the Astros on Wednesday. I'm going to that game! :) Go Braves!

I finished it! Jake took a long nap and I took advantage of that time and seamed up my Klaralund. I'm very happy with the way it turned out!



Yeah! My 2nd sweater is done! :)

I finished all the knitting on my Klaralund last night!



Don't you just love the pic on the ground? I just don't have a clear table in my house. I really need to get cleaning one of these days. I've been sick with a cold and my wonderful co-workers let me go home early yesterday. I should bring them flowers, they can be so nice when they want! :)

Well, today is the start date for the Lara-along! Can't wait to get going on this beautiful sweater! Write more soon!