Still around, honest

Good evening ladies,

Well, while watching the Bucs lose (again), I was able to finish the pink and purple baby blanket for the next show (yes, I know, you want pics, you'll just have to deal). It better sell. At this point I have the shawl and the new baby blanket finished. I'd like to make some more things for the show on Saturday, but I know that I'll likely just stress myself out. :)

At this point I will finish Larry and Diane's wedding throw (since the shower is 11/11 and I'd like to have it done by then) and then start on a sweater for myself since the pattern turns out so nicely. And it's finally getting cold.

I had a lot of other things to say but I'm so tired right now. This working stuff is getting seriously in the way of my crochet time. :) Talk to you ladies later.

Goodnight,
Tracie

2 Feet = 2 socks

Ladies,

Be proud, you are both now the almost owners of 2 socks each. These 2 socks even almost match eachother. We wont talk about toe joins, and before you will receive your gift of socks you will both pinky swear that you will not
a)laugh at your socks
b)talk disparagingly toward your socks
c)point and laugh at the socks creator for her lack of toe joining abilities
d)refuse to wear them on the grounds that the toes do not match.

And now that I'm done with those 2 PAIRS, you would think I would move on to finish Dad's second sock. You would think, wouldnt you? Nope. I started a sweater for Jake. Dont tell, I want it to be a Christmas Present that is actually a suprise. Not so good with that am I? Whoops. Anyway, Dad said he probably wont be down until December so I have some time. Especially since I had been making such good time on the other 2 second socks. Becides, we have crochet group in less than a week, and I really need to have something on some sort of a hook to bring with me, or suffer as the outcast. Moving on.

Really that's it, nothing to move on to. You guys have been awfully quiet... I dont like being here alone!

Cheers,
Brandee

Done and Done

Ladies,


Before you ask, no I dont have pictures because I only do those from work, but...

Mom's sweater is DONE!

And, and and and

Dad's sock is DONE!

Both finished last night. I'm so excited! So, Tracie, that means that I can start your second sock today. We'll see how far I can get between today with a lot of nothing going on, then tomorrow with the trip to Disney (I probably wont bring it with me inside Epcot because we wont be going on rides, and waiting... but I have the rides back and forth.

Speaking of Epcot, I am going to price out the Dale of Norway sweater kits. Travis will soon be getting his 40% Christmas discount on stuff, and I thought I could get one and sell it online.... to a Real Knitter. Because we ALL know I couldnt do it! Here, go see one here... Dale Sweater

Beautiful... yes, definatly. Difficult - oh yeah. Worth learning how to Knit - probably not so much.

I'll post some pics on Monday. Hope you guys have a good weekend.

Brandee

Stupid should hurt

Ladies,

I know that I'm out of turn, but I thought I would share this with you, so you could laugh at me. Tracie, your thought that Stupid should Hurt is so applicable here, and as punishment I should be made to write "I will read ALL directions BEFORE proceeding" 100 times.

As you know I'm making this sweater for Mom for Christmas, and to break up the monotony I've decided on Back/sleeve/front/sleeve. I've finished up my back, it looks great I think, and moved on to sleeve #1. The pattern is basically a few rows repeated but continuing continuity of the pattern (there's diamonds and you just follow the guides to make it look right). Well for the back, you do this repeat for so many inches, take it in a few stitches for the sleeve inset, then go up further in the same pattern. It reads something like this:
Row 1: dc blah blah, fptc, dcs, fptc, dcs, bobble, dcs, fptc, dcs, fptc.
Row 2: sc across
Row 3: Continue in pattern blah blah

THEN I hit the sleeve. Well, they did the same thing to begin with, got you started with the sleeve pattern (again with the diamonds)and it reads something like this: Row 1: dc blah blah, fptc, dcs, fptc, dcs, bobble, dcs, fptc, dcs, fptc.
Row 2: sc across
Row 3: Continue in pattern blah blah (adding 1 st to each end)

WELL, I figured directions for sleeve were the same as directions for back. I figured wrong. I noticed that I figured wrong 8 ROWS after this was supposed to start. Know how I noticed I figured wrong? Go ahead, guess? I'm sure you cant guess THIS bad, so I'll tell you. There was a PICTURE! I kept reading the pattern to figure out where the increases were, and kept reading blah blah instead of add 1 stitch to each end. STUPID! Here, laugh, carry on...(not you Mom): http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/brandeekins/2006_1010Image0002.jpg


However, here is the back, which redeems me a bit: http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a250/brandeekins/2006_1010Image0001.jpg



Yeah, That's 20 minutes of my life I'll never get back!

Back to work,
Brandee

A lesson in how not to get anything done

Ladies,

Tracie, I do believe you've hit the nail on the head. I've accidentally added another project to my OnTheHook list. Whoops! BUT, in my own defense - SOOO not my fault.

A little background...
Last night was Kerry's birthday party at my house (go visit her blog... yarn-addiction.blogspot.com - she's great fun) and because I was throwing said party I get to make the rules.

Now Kerry is a very new crocheter, I think it's been maybe 3 months or so since Tracie and I taught her how to do it (she has been cheating, since she now crochetes the wrong way)(just sayin), and she has become completly taken over. Her husband, whom I have known since I was 13, has taken, I'm sure, to calling me dirty names. Oh well, that much history, he just has to suck it up and deal. Moving on.

So I made this a Birthday Party. With yarn! Because I can. I added, along with the great food and frosty beverages, a yarn swap and book lending with the other ladies in our crochet group that managed to make it (ahem, Dani), and it was great fun. Travis took some pics, and I'll try to put them on tomorrow, to show you what it looked like.

During this yarn swap I doled out a LOT of yarn that I have no special use for and in return got 2 skeins of Fiesta in a cream w/brown/gold fleck thread. I wanted this so that when I'm done with my socks I could make a sweater from the new Family Circle magazine. It has one for men, women and kids so I just had to decide who would get one. Yeah, when I'm finished with the socks. Whoops! I've done my swatch (twice because the hook they tell you to use doesnt work) and now I'm about 10 inches into the bottom ribbing.

See, so since you gave me the yarn (well somebody gave me the yarn) I'm not to blame for this little snafu. I chose to make it for my mom because if I have to do one more stitch on that other one I think I'd probably throw it. And, in that respect, the Great Yarn Search of '06 is officially called off. OOH, ought not to have said the colors, eh? Whoops. And no mom, it's not a cardigan... maybe next year.

Have a great rest of the weekend, Go Bucs (For the love of PETE IN DIXIE, please win a game!)
Brandee

Just a bit A.D.D.

Good afternoon ladies,

I realized a few minutes ago that I perhaps have a problem. I believe I have Crochet A.D.D. See, let me explain....

I currently have 4 active projects going (let us not count the projects that are stashed under the bed or in the closet...those are inactive and should not be considered here). I also have 3 projects in line to start. Then there's the 3-4 I'm itching to start. Like really itching. My fingers want to play with the yarn and get started.

I think I get bored too easy. Once I get into a project and it hits the repetitive part, then I'm ready to do something else. I need to discover again the meditative qualities of doing the same stitch over and over again.

Just for those who are counting, here are my current projects (active and inactive), projects in the wings, and projects still in conception stage:

Active projects:
1) Seraphina Shawl (over 1/2 done I think...I'll know once I run out of yarn)
2) Log cabin afghan for Larry and Diane (I am over half way done with this one)
3) Crimson cape (not even close although it's in the lace pattern now and will likely go quickly)
4) Pound of Love afghan (using the pattern on the label but without the hood, that was a pain in the hook last time)

Inactive projects:
1) Granny square skirt (residing under the bed and in the closet)
2) Purple coat (my first project...out of Red Heart Acrylic....in purple....in single crochet...can we see why it's inactive?)
3) Pink baby blanket (need to just order the pink I need so I can finish it)
4) Dreamcatcher afghan using up baby yarn stash
5) Ruana wrap out of boucle

Waiting to be made (I have the yarn and the pattern, just waiting to start):
1) Cool crochet cap in denim blues
2) Cotton tots baby sweater
3) Josaylnne's tote bag for her crochet kit

Still in my head and wishful:
1) Snowflake skirt from Interweave Crochet (although I have the yarn I think I'm using, I just need to swatch and make sure it'll work)
2) About 3 other skirts I want to make
3) Felted tote bag out of the brown wool I have under the bed.
4) A few tops



Yeah, is it any wonder I don't have time to post? LOL

Take care ladies...
Tracie

Consistancy - it's what I'm here for

Ladies,

It's so quiet out there in crochetland. I felt compelled to write since I dont want to alienate the reader... or readers (who knows) with a lack of blogging. Hubby sent me a great article on 10 Tips to better blogging, and that was one of them - stay consistant on your timeframe of blogging, weather it's every day, every other tuesday, whatever. So, here I am, popping in even though I dont have a lot to say.

I am working diligently on Dad's sock, and it looks like this:






I really like the way the colors are coming out, it's a great verigation, especially for a guy's sock. This was taken yesterday, and last night I did get to knit on it a little so it is a wee bit bigger, maybe a total of 5 inches or so long. 3 more then I'll start the heel flap, I think that will be enough, we'll see.

Any chance my dad will lose a foot in the next month and I dont have to knit the other sock? I didn't think so either.

Ooooh, I joined a psuedo book club! $9.95 a month, they send you a book from a list (kinda like netflix but you keep them) and they are all normally well more than the $9.95. The first one coming is Imagine that... a sock book! I know, I know, I have only knit one type of sock out of the one sock book I have - Tra, it's like you and the skirts, you understand! Once I become a real knitter, maybe I'll be able to figure out how to make the other 11 in the book! Lofty goals I tell you. Anyway, this book got great reviews and that made me happy.

My next book is a School Years book for Jake, then a 100 crochet projects. CROCHET, did you see! I'm kind of exciting about that too, it got good reviews and the projects on the cover are cute. Who knows when I'll be able to make all this stuff I have in my head, we'll have to see. I'm sure I'll die an old lady with 19 cats, 432 garbage bags of yarn and 237 projects on my list of crap to do. Not to mention 37 WIPS!

Have a great night lovies, I'll see you tomorrow.

Brandee

Light speed

Ladies,

Well Dani, I've finished your sock. It came out really nicely and I am very grateful that I wrote down the pattern as I went. Once I have you try it on to make sure it fits and stays up (as much as an anklesock can) I will write it out right and post it. Wanna see?





And I know that I should really have started Tracie's 2nd sock, but, um, well, I didnt. Let me preface that by saying that Saturday afternoon I went to a little yarn shop by my mom's place and they had a big ball of sock yarn for $10 - I usually pay $18 for a big ball so I was excited. I decided to make my Dad a pair of socks for building the room into my garage for me. Isnt that a great trade? A couple weeks worth of work plus taking us to Home Depot for all the stuff for a nice pair of hand knit socks. Dontcha wish all contractors worked for socks? Imagine the houses we'd have! Anyway, right now Dad's sock looks like this:





I had decided to try toe up and I'm not thrilled with it. I just found other instructions for toe up that I'm gonna try right now, wish me luck.

Brandee