FO Friday: Simple Stockinette Blanket

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I’m finished with Stashbustin’ #9. This was one of my less than enjoyable knitting projects. I started here, then changed course here, finally made at least some progress here, and thus leaving me utterly done with this project!

It really did need a third skein of yarn. But I just couldn’t bare the thought of continuing to work on this blanket, so I just cast off.

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I ended up with roughly a 55 inch long by 32 inch wide strip of knitting. I’m thinking lap blanket??? Who the heck knows…

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Folded in half it makes two appropriately sized baby blankets. Maybe I should get a pillow insert and seam around it for a pillow cover?

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I did learn a few things from this experience:

A) Always check gauge or risk ending up with a wonky size

B) I learned how I need to treat chenille for both maximum stitch definition and fabric quality

C) I should listen to my mother

I WILL work with this yarn again. I just need a better game plan next time! But now this project is done and I can focus on my raglan cardi.

TGIF and Happy Knitting!!

Rehearsal: A Perfect Wedding!

I’m pleased to report that I got cast in Auburn Community Theater’s A Perfect Wedding!

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(Photo from ACT website)

I play Rachel, a bride marrying her high school sweetheart, who gets caught up in a love quadrangle on the day of her wedding. This farcical comedy is hilarious!!! My fiancé sleeps with his best friends girlfriend, who then pretends to be a maid, while the maid pretends to be the girlfriend, and the best man is actually in love with the bride! At one point or another we all get to yell and hit someone else with a toilet brush, lol. Trust me its beyond funny.

I cannot wait to get this show on its feet! Rehearsals started this week so my schedule is packed. I hope to be able to keep you all updated on my theater adventures AND my knitting along the way!!

WIP Wednesday: Simple Raglan Cardi

Update for Stashbustin’ #11

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(Sorry for the photo it was late and I had no natural light)

I’VE FINALLY DIVIDED FOR THE BODY! It actually looks like a sweater!!

This is my first top down/raglan sweater attempt. And I’m perty darn proud. I may have made a few mistakes but only I will know they are there. The pattern has been pretty easy to follow, rav page here.

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I love the yarn over detail at the shoulders. I am now left to complete 4 1/2 inches of stockinette body, 2 1/2 inches of body ribbing, both sleeves, and the ribbing along the front edges. I still have aways to go but I love this project and I’m addicted!

So far it it fits without needing to alter the pattern, fingers crossed!

What’s your current project addiction?

Battle of the Buldge

In preparing for the impending huge step in our lives by buying a house, we decided some life insurance might be necessary. We are young and it’s really rather affordable right now. So off we went! There was a small matter of routine physicals….

Holy moley, were the holidays hard on our waistlines. Both of us are overweight and the hubs has high cholesterol. I knew that both of our wardrobes had been getting tight but sheesh! So we’ve decided to do something about it.

1) The hubs has started a fish oil regimen and increased his fiber intake per doctors orders

2) I’m increasing my cardio workouts and dragging the husband with me

3) Dinner time is now a no starch zone. We try to fix lean protein, steamed or raw veggies, and a high fiber fruit.

4) Cut our soda/sugar intake by half

5) Cut out alcohol consumption unless attending social events

6) Packing sack lunches before we go to bed instead of when we are bleary eyed first thing in the am.

7) Having bottled water on hand and Brita pitcher always full. We need all the hydration we can get!

We suck at dieting. We like carbs. We like sweets. We don’t need to crash diet. We need to learn to live better! I’m hoping by still getting our whole grains and bread/rice during breakfast and lunch that we won’t feel deprived! And if we have a soda or donut here and there….it’s not going to kill us. We simply makes choices and find a balance.

Disclaimer: I’m by no means an expert on health or fitness! This is just what we are going to try make work for us. Common sense and moderation…

Baby steps and positive choices! Here goes nothing!

Holy Cow!!!!

Well it was an exciting weekend in household. The hubs and I found a house!!!!!! Literally on our first swing. We looked at 6 homes on Saturday and put an offer on one we fell in love with on Sunday. It has 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, fenced backyard, and a two car garage. And it was a short sale by the owner so we got a great deal.

I can’t wait to show you how beautiful this house is! It has the space and storage we desperately need. And I will finally get a craft space of my own 🙂

On top of this my play, A Perfect Wedding, had started rehearsals. So in the next 45 days I have to learn an entire show, pack all my worldly goods, and get set up in our first home! I am still going to try to keep up my knitting. I have some very exciting WIPs!!

I just hope I come out on the other side with my sanity!!!

Yarn Urges

Knit Picks knows me all to well. They keep sending me advertisements and blogging about their new yarn Billow. Billow is creamy soft cotton that is spun thin/thick that gives it a bit of slubbiness. I want so badly to get online and order enough to make a small shawl or cowl. Okay truth time, maybe I really want to order a whole bunch and make another blanket. Everyone seems to rave about this yarn and I just want to try it sooooo badly.

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(Photo courtesy of Knit Picks)

I have thus far resisted. I would like to say it’s because I’m de-stashing and being fiscally prudent. But it’s more due to the fact that my credit card was involved in the security breach back in Nov/Dec 2012 at Knit Picks. Knit Picks was hacked and customer’s information was exposed. I would never have known this but I happen to read their blog and noticed it there. It would have been nice to get an email, especially since I had ordered during the time period in question. And my card did end up getting fraud on it. Someone in Illinois (I live in Kansas) tried to use my card number to purchase gas, a hotel room, groceries, and something on Groupon. The card company flagged this quickly and shut off the card. I was not out any money. No harm no foul…..but I’m still hesitant about ordering. I’m not saying Knit Picks is bad or at fault, for the record I love Knit Picks and their yarn!!! And they say they have fixed the vulnerability….

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(Photso courtesy of Knit Picks)

I really really want to try this new yarn! I’m just nervous about my personal data. Any guesses on which urge will win, lol?

Happy Knitting

FO Friday: Memory Blanket

I was cleaning out my knitting storage and came across a surprise, my memory blanket I made in 2011! By 2011 my knitting had progressed from scarves to many many garter stitch baby blankets. At the time I had a slew of family and friends all having babies. It seemed that they would never stop. I think I made like 8 or 9 blankets in 2011?

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After all those projects I had a ton of random acrylic baby blanket yarn left over. It was all different colors and yarn weight and I didn’t really want to store it. So on a whim, I just cast on a whole bunch of stitches and started working. I knit until I ran out of one color and then started the next one. I finished the project shortly after Christmas. I distinctly remember sitting at my Grandma’s kitchen table playing dominos with the family and trying to knit the blanket at the same time because I didn’t want the project to run over into 2012.

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It’s not the best or prettiest blanket I have ever made, but it’s special to me. I can look at the various stripes an see all the babies I had knit for: Sofia, Bentley, Devin, Jackson, Orion, and Ely. And it’s perfect blanket to throw on my bed on a cold night or cuddle on the couch with. Isn’t it cool when something you knit becomes more than just FO?

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Happy Friday and Happy Knitting!!!

WIPitis and Its Implications

I have had a well documented case of WIPitis lately. I have five projects currently in my WIP column and about 50 more projects queued up on Ravelry. To keep myself honest, I am reporting all my WIPs to you guys. I am going to call it a “WIP Flash”!!!

Stashbustin’ #2 – Waffle Blanket

Haven’t touched this since that progress report. It’s hibernating and it honestly doesn’t bother me….yet

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Stashbustin’ #9 – Simple Stockinette Baby Blanket

See yesterday’s post…it’s coming along! This project is now my bedtime knitting.

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Stashbustin’ #10 – Pink and White Chevron Blanket

Haven’t touched this one since the last update either. I’m waiting for it to “speak” to me before I pick it up again.

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Stashbustin’ #11 – Simple Raglan Cardi

I have made a little progress since Tuesday. I’m really trying to do this one right. And slow and steady wins the race! This is my current TV knitting on the couch. I haven’t snapped a recent photo, but I’ve completed at least 3 inches!

Purse Project

I always keep a small mindless project in my bag in case I get stuck somewhere in line or get bored at lunch. Right now I have a Cascading Ruffles Scarf in the most elegant and shiny purple I have ever seen. It’s about half done, which is impressive since I only work one or two rows at a time.

I’ve shown you mine….anybody want to tell me about theirs?

Happy Knitting!!

WIP Wednesday: Stockinette Baby Blanket

Stashbustin’ #9

I have made some great progress on my Simple Stockinette Baby Blanket in Bernat Baby Blanket. Especially since I got snowed in at my parent’s house this past weekend and it’s the only project I took with me. The alterations I made in my previous post have really helped. It’s not the best blanket in the world, but I feel victorious for surviving thus far without incoherent babbling!!

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Having said that…..I am improvising this pattern and I did not swatch for gauge. (Please see previous WIP post where I was bragging about swatching my cardi…) I do realize that gauge has significant implications but my knitterly brain just refused to accept that reality in some projects. The resulting WIP blanket is proving to be coming out enormously wide. My calculations have blanket coming out at 50 in long and 30 in wide or vice versa.

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I have decided to roll with the punches and call this an “unintentional design feature”‘ I am on my second skein if yarn and I think I’m just going to knit until I get to the end of it. My mom took only look at my progress and declared I should use three. Sadly she is right and I know it. But I just can’t keep working on this hot mess of a project. Lesson learned: I shall not improvise a project without first checking gauge and dimension! I am just going to finish what I have (should even be able to cast off this project before the weekend) and move on!!

Anybody need a wonky shaped blanket? (I am the master of my own knitting, at least according to the Yarn Harlot!)

Happy Knitting!

Update: Stashbustin’ #11

Stashbustin’ #11

I have finally cast on for my Simple Raglan Cardi. I was a patient knitter. I read the pattern, took my measurements, knit a swatch, measured said swatch for gauge, washed and blocked the swatch, marked up the pattern for my required size, re-measured just to be sure, and FINALLY cast on my sweater. This is my first really foray into a fitted garment for myself. I have made generic shrugs and other easy garments before and I’m finally brave enough to try.

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As you can see from the photo, I don’t have much progress. But it’s a start!!! And I just love love love the feel of soft cotton under my fingers and on my needles. Being as this is a top-down construction, I intend to try it on as I knit to ensure proper fit. Sure, this entails putting it on and taking off waste yarn in order to check fit. But isn’t it worth it to get a garment you will actually wear?

Keep you posted on my progress!

Happy Knitting!!