I just finished my first sock! And it fits! It's from Teach Yourself Visually Sock Knitting. It's the "Basic Top Down Sock Pattern", and it's got boo boos but it fits! And it feels mahvelous! And I did the Kitchener Stitch toe and it wasn't nearly as hard as I'd seen all over the net. I cannot recommend this book enough for the beginning sock knitter. And, just for the helluv it? I think I'll do it again!

Ta Da!

Two FOs!! A hat for me in bulky single and a hat for DH in 100% superwash! Now he wants a thick hat like mine. ::sigh:: At least I have the pattern memorized, lol.

All this, and candy corn, too!

As the yarn knots . . .

So . . . there I was, innocently browsing Lion Yarn's FB page and they had the cutest pattern for candy corn - in crochet ::spits::. I don't hate crocheting, it just hurts too much. So, in the midst of two socks, two hats and a sweater, I'm faking a pattern to knit (inna round) candy corn. No problem with the yarn - I have acrylic by the . . . shelf full (and a step to get to the top shelf).

And I got to wondering about the kind of person who only ever followed a pattern. That'd be like DH only cooking by following a recipe. He does follow a recipe - once. And only then if it's the first time he's tried it. From there? He cooks by knowledge. Now, I know I ain't been knitting but 10 months, but there's no way I can't not just try something. I mean, it's not going to cost me anything but time and thinkage - I have the yarn and needles ::hugs enabler::.

So, apparently, I'm knitting Hallowe'en candy. Life doesn't get much stranger than this.

Yeah . . . that Summer thing? Not so much.

It snowed here on the last day of Summer. Woo Hoo! No such thing as Global Climate Change!!

Luckily our tomatoes and peppers survived, but we got them covered asap because we're nowhere near ready to stop harvesting.

All praise the wood stove!! I love our wood heat. Screw forced air of any kind.

Took all kinds of pictures yesterday to put stuff up on eBay for a "friend" but I forgot to take knitting pics. And now it's really wet and rainy outside. I don't care if this wool is superwash, I'm not taking pictures in the rain, lol.

Now. On to paying bills, forcing myself to go to Safeway ::shudder:: and then . . . more knitting! It's winter hat time and I found a cool pattern for WWII watch caps that don't have a tassel at the top. I don't mind tassels, but DH is much too macho for one. roflmao.

Laters!

Good thing it's still summer!

Never got around to, ya know, life here. It's been happening out there. OMG, can't believe I haven't updated since April. I know it's picture guilt that causes this. I'll figure it out eventually.

Anyway, there's been knitting and knitting and more knitting, but today also added bottling a stout beer DH made and canning pinto beans I made. It's soooo coool! Take dry beans. Put them in water and ignore them for a day (soak). Drain. Rinse. A lot. Put back in pot, add fresh water, bring to a boil and boil for 30 minutes. Pack into pints (or quarts for them that eats more), and stick in pressure canner for 75 minutes (90 for quarts) at 15lbs pressure. Zip, tang! Fresh home-canned beans. What taste a shit-load better than anything store-bought. (All times and poundage figured for over 6000 feet in elevation.)

Yes, dear niece, you read that right - DH made another stout. And it smells like chocolate. Too bad I don't drink the stuff, lol. We bottled a bitter last Friday, and he's planning on an IPA this coming weekend - which I doubt. He's going out for Elk Saturday and even if he gets one, it's not like he can get it cut, yadda, by Sunday. Then there's that "rest" thing I keep pushing on him. Not that he pays much attention to what **I** say, lol.

Oh, and the grape vines produced like crazy this year! First year for grapes on 3 year old cuttings from an over a hundred year old rootstock. The wine is fermenting already - it's on its first 'wait 30 days and then check it' session. And it's dark. And rich. And what my mom would have called "dago red". It's the first pressing of the grapes and it smells heavenly.

Nuff for now. Back to killing things and knitting.

Life, what Universe? And something.

Life is running away from me, but, luckily, I have yarn and needles with me.

We're currently on a field trip to Denver, but, because of the weather - snow, snow and snow disguised as rain, going out and about is a royal pain. I've only managed to hit one thrift shop so far (Arc), but have plans for another (Goodwill) tomorrow. No great buys yet. Also, haven't run into any LYS's yet. I'm not heading for any in particular, but if I see one, I'll stop in.

I've been knitting. Yah, I know, not posting anything, and all my pics are on my other computer. This is the traveling laptop. I did finish my first Jayne hat, though. I love it. It's a bit big because I didn't have the exact right size circs called for, so I guessed. It still fits fabulously and looks maaaarvelous! I also made a bitty one that someone (info at home) came up with for a pin. Right now it's sitting on my McD's Stitch Elvis bobble doll. It sooo fits. Stitch is now cunning.

Washcloths are now my friend. Up to the point that I'm trying to design my own designs for them. Messed up the first one, royally, but, that's okay. It's a washcloth. Soap doesn't really care what it looks like. And, like everything, it's a learning experience.

Okay, I'm going back to knitting now. I currently only have one project on needles - besides my "I'm going to knit a square with every type of scrap acrylic I have and make them into a blanket, eventually" project. It's a . . . cozy for . . . ummm . . . a part of a male's anatomy. It's so soft and fuzzy! The cozy, not the body part, lol

Laters!

How much do I love YouTube?

I just taught myself a new stitch - thanks to YouTube! Yay! I'm really bad about following written instructions - I just can't see what they're talking about. So, I toodle myself over to YouTube and search for 'knit increase stitch' and find an easy to understand video from expertvillage. Quicker than I can knit a row I've learned two ways to increase my stitches.

I love teh intartubes!

Silly happiness

I just got out of the tub (TMI?) and got to use my first ever homemade washcloth. OMG! I may never not have one going on a set of needles! It scrubs! It soaps up! It rinses out instantly! I just totally love it! Them, even! I'm currently using Lily Sugar and Cream Stripes and I'm gonna go crazy when I buy more, lol.

Pictures next time! I promise!

Curses! Foiled, again!

I don't know if the curse of the internet surfer is the finding of all the new patterns, or the fact that I can't knit them yet.

I know I'm a slow learner, and stitcher, for that matter. It really does take awhile for me to catch on to something without making any mistakes - I still can't just knit a row without either dropping a stitch, adding three stitches, or something else. I am very patient with myself with this - something that very rarely happens to me. I want to know it and I want to know it NOW is my usual chant - just ask the hubby. But knitting is different. It's calming. It's knowing that even if all I do is knit a square - or a round! - it will be useful in some way - even if it's just to teach me how to do it.

In that vein, I finished my first round . . . thing! It could be an earwarmer, but when I bound off (binded off?), I made it too tight so the only one it fits is the dog, as a collar, lol. It was a learning experience and I'm proud of it. There will be more round things in my future when I can actually learn all the stitches needed to follow a pattern.

Also, I finished my first square for what will eventually become a block knit blanket. It really is relaxing to know that eventually all these knots I'm tying will be something warm and useful and hopefully not so ugly as to have to hide it under the comforter.

Ta for now.

Note to self: don't knit when you're sleepy. You will add stitches. Somehow. No matter how simple the row you're doing is, you will add stitches. Then, after your nap you will have to pull out at least a row and count, and re-count, and count again as you put stitches back on your needles. Then, if you're not completely awake, you'll add stitches. Again.

The lesson here: be awake when you knit.

So, there I am, knitting along, and I realize I have not one, but two gaping holes (well, one st missed each) in lower levels. Shit. One I can weave up via picking up a dropped stitch, but the other one looks like there was never yarn there to begin with. Put it down, walk away.

This is why, although I love to knit alone, I should knit with adult supervision nearby.

::sigh::

Just as a reminder:

Find a pattern for a balaclava. Silk would be nice. Any blend I can work with will be better. Might want to research knitting in the round beforehand.

I finished my first face cloth last night. It's cute and pink and done! I'll post a pic of it and my scarf when I can clear off a flat-ish surface and find a camera (phone or other). I also plan on putting up what info I have on the yarn - if I have any. I adore "pre-used yarn"; aka bought at Arc or Goodwill or Salvation Army or what have you. That way I don't feel like I'm wasting yarn on experimentation. I really hate wasting things, lol.

More later.

Ta!

I'm trying to teach myself that it's okay to knit just for the sake of knitting - doing something with my hands. So today I started on a washcloth just for the sake of knitting. It's strictly a knit stitch so I don't have to think about any pattern. I'm so sick because of this danged cold, all I can do is sit, cough, and knit.

Welcome to my knitting blog. I'm planning on keeping this an everybody-friendly place that is limited to my knitting life. I'm not great about talking about what I'm doing, so this is going to be fun, lol.

I just started knitting about a month ago - December 20 or so. I live in a bitty town in Southeastern Colorado, but we are lucky enough to have a great LYS (Local Yarn Shop) here called Edla's Yarns. I'll be linking to her and to other sites I love as soon as I figure this place out.

I also plan on posting pics of all my projects - as they're done - so I can keep a visual record of my (hopefully) great knitting progress. Hey! I just managed to learn purling 4 days ago without having to think through the process every time. Progress!

Anyway, welcome to my knitting world.