Jofrog is Knitfrog!
March 31 2004
I taught my knitting class at the elementary school yesterday. They are more than half way done with the class and are just amazing. Most of them can even fix their own mistakes and can "un-knit" a row too. I've been bringing in projects that I'm working on to show them more complex things. Yesterday was Gyrid's turn. As soon as I brought her out the questions began... What is that? How do you put it together? Why are you doing it on a circular needle? How do you make that design on it? How many stitches? And they continued on! Kids are just so much fun. I'm so glad that I got this opportunity! And now for your opportunity to see Gyrid's front, almost all completed. The armholes are being shaped and it's about time to put some stiches on hold for the neck! I also took a close up picture of the Celtic knot, which one of my students warned the others not to trace with their fingers because it never ends and they would get stuck tracing it for eternity! Be sure to heed that warning if you ever decide to knit this tank! One last pic, since this is a late post today and it's about time to think about dinner. Enjoy!20 Questions
March 25 2004
Yeah, we regained power yesterday, I uploaded the pictures and here they are... Okay, so they aren't really here. You have to go to www.printroom.com again to see them. :-( I made it easy for you though. Here's the cutie opal sock. The last day that I was in Florida we stopped by the local yarn store. It's called Knitting with Nancy and I still don't know what to think about it. I couldn't figure out their organizational system. How does one find things in there? I don't know. They had an odd mix of yarns, about 90% novelty which I thought was weird until I realized that people in Florida never need to wear wool sweaters! Still, I was a bit dissapointed. I guess I've been spoiled by the yarn stores I frequent in MA. One other thing that I thought was odd was their display system. They had nails driven into the walls and balls of yarn stuck on them! Yowsers? I was so worried that the yarn would all pull if I removed anything. Crazy stuff I tell you. Naomi took some pictures from her week's vacation also. She played with her friend Alibi for the week and had an incredible time! She slept the first two days that she was home. Yesterday was the first day that she was up for playing, and boy was she ready for playing! Have a great weekend everyone!Pictures!
March 24 2004
I finished my first Opal Mexico sock in two days! Why haven't I thought of making ankle socks before? It's like doing half a sock! They are so cute. I took one to my knitting class with me yesterday and the girls loved them! We are having so much fun together. Only four more classes though. :-( I took a picture of my newest sock and as soon as I took it my power went off so I couldn't upload it to the computer! I am doomed with the pictures! Why? As for the pictures that aren't coming out in the last few posts you can see them at printroom.com. We may just have to do it this way for a while. Gyrid is half way through the front textured portion and the Knitsmiths got to see it last week but you will have to wait! Time to go back home and see if we have power or to find some candles!QT
March 22 2004
We got home from Florida 2:30AM Sunday and got right back into the swing of things. Naomi was very glad to be home, but she had a great time with her pal all week. Definitely pictures to come. Last night, when I'd finally settled in I pulled out the Opal Mexico yarn and got started. It is such fun yarn and I hate that my socks never get seen because they are always under pants and in shoes. I have a pair of backless sneakers that I think will be my new sock show off shoes. So... because of this, I'm making them anklet socks. Boy do socks go quickly when you shorten them! I've already completed the top, turned the heel and am working down the foot. I was going to take a picture but the first one is so close to being done that I'll wait to show you a full sock. Time to get used to the cold weather again... 23 degrees F when I took Naomi out this morning! Here's to warm weather thoughts.Hola
March 19 2004
I am craving socks. I saw the new socks that Sandy started for her father and I thought, "Gosh, I haven't done a straight pair of socks in so long". I do love the Feb SOTMC socks that I'm doing, and I love the lacy November ones too. I really want to do a straight forward pair of socks that self pattern again though. That's the reason why I love socks so much, I love the yarn. Sandy gave me some Opal Mexico yarn ages ago and I think that as soon as I get home on Sunday that's what I'll start. ...or very soon after. We leave Florida tomorrow evening, arrive in snowy Boston at 1AM Sunday. Vacation was wonderful, but it's time to go home now. There is so much to do on so many different fronts that it's hard to relax for too long. I'm hoping that it will all be easier to do now that my hair is lighter and my skin is darker! We can't wait to get home to Naomi! She's been staying with her good friend Alibi and I've been getting email reports that she's doing well and having fun romping in the snow and taking naps with her friend. Still, I can't wait to have her back at home with me! Hopefully I'll be able to sort out the picture problems next week and maybe even throw in some dog pictures and Florida pictures.Craving Socks
March 18 2004
Mike, his mother, and I went this morning for our first golf lesson ever! We had a great time and we can't wait to go again now. Last summer Mike and I had gone to a driving range and I had done fine without knowing what I was doing but today after a bit of instruction they are going higher and farther than ever. We will definitely look into our local golf course more when we get home. As for knitting, I've been working hard on Gyrid but I've done quite a bit of unknitting. :-( She's coming along now quite quickly and I'm in the middle of the charted region on the front. This is knitting up aweful fast for something that knits at 6 stitches to the inch. One more beach day today, then a Red Sox spring training game tomorrow, and off for cold and snowy Boston Saturday night.Golfing!
March 16 2004
I've finished the back on Gyrid and I started the front yesterday. We are in Florida now, so she we are in full force Gyrid mode. I got to the charted portion on the front last night and learned all about left and right lifted increases. This pattern is wonderful in the way that everything is written. It was obviously written by a good knitter for a good knitter. Everything is done the proper and professional way. That said, the pattern is very skimpy and there is a lot of infering that needs to be done to figure out exactly what's what. I found a great discription of the lifted increases between this site and a movie on this one. It's extremely easy and I was so excited to learn a new technique! As you can see, pictures are once again, not working. Again, if anyone knows of a reliable photo hosing site or service I'd love the advice. Hopefully knitting and Florida pics soon. Enjoy the snow Mom!Fancy Fancy
March 11 2004
Diamonds
Differnt diamonds today folks! I've been working on my February
SOTMC socks whenever I have a few mins to spare. Each of the
diamonds is done separately by picking up stitches from the diamonds
below it so it makes it a nicely modular project. I can sit down,
do a diamond or two and then go on with my day. Because of that,
the first one is done! ...well, not quite done. After you
make all of these diamonds you have to do some half diamonds to even
out the edges and then pick up stitches on dpns to make the heel, the
toe, and the cuff. I've done my half diamonds and now they are
waiting for some US1 dpns.
Don't they look neat! The next update you get will be from sunny Florida! Talk to you then.
March 10 2004
Okay, here's one more try... Finally, a picture of Gyrid for you!
Yeah! I love the waist shaping in these summer tanks, it makes them so
feminine! Gyrid has an interesting rolled cuff at the bottom, but what
makes it interesting is that it rolls under, not up. It's a very nice
effect. Oh, and look at those pretty hands holding it down, and what is
that sparkle? ;-) Gyrid will be the bulk of my plane knitting next week when I'm off for Florida! I can't wait, fun in the sun, here I come! **If anyone has any tips on good photo hosts I'm all ears. PLEASE email me or leave a comment, thanks in advance.**One More Try
I ordered our new camera after 1PM on Monday and it was delivered sometime before 2PM today! Amazing! For some reason though, my photo host is not working with me today and will not allow me to post them! Ahhh! It's as if I shouldn't be blogging at all. All the signs are against me! Try again tomorrow! Also, please leave a comment or email me if you have had trouble seeing the photo of the camera in yesterday's post. Thanks!Amazing
March 9 2004
So Much Work
I have so much to do, and so little time. I definitely have too much
on my plate right now! Ahh! I'm doing well keeping everything in line
though... and boy do I cherish my knitting time, especially when it's
guilt free.
I took three skeins of yarn with me to A Good Yarn
on Sunday to wind and left there without winding any of them! Whoops.
That means that Gyrid is on hold, my Feb sock will be soon (I'm almost
up to the top of the cuff), and Mike's sweater will run out at some
point too.
I'm at work right now (I know, I wasn't supposed to be) and putting
figures into my thesis proposal. Then I'm off to teach my girls, I
can't wait!
Speaking of "I can't wait", I'm waiting for this in the mail:
A little wedding present for me and Mike! (I also added a wedding countdown to the right column. Thanks Em for the link.)
March 8 2004
This silky wool is knitting up very quickly for 6st/1". It feels like I'm knitting with paper though! This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I feel like I have to be very careful with it or it will break. It's like when I was a kid in school and we made our own recycled paper. Silk is an odd beast. I'm done with all of the shaping on it and almost at the arm holes on the back! It's been the bulk of my knitting lately and it shows! This silky wool is so soft on the hands but there is a lot of "organic material" in it, mostly straw. I don't know if I'm supposed to be pulling that out or just knitting it in so I'm doing a bit of both! Hope that I don't get scratched when I wear it! One other note on the yarn is that there is one bright GREEN speck in it! How does that happen? Was the sheep rolling in dye? Did the silk worm eat some green dye? Just one more thing that makes it unique I guess. Unfortunately no pictures because I'm not going into work this week (or next for that matter). I might stop in just to take pics and upload them, but I might also be buying a camera! Off to check out Circuit City. (We actually went the other day to pick up our camera at Best Buy and found out that they stopped carying all Nikon cameras! Why?) Talk to you soon, happy knitting!Silky Wool
March 4 2004
As was expected, Tuesday's election was a slow day. The precinct I was working in did not hit the 25% turnout that was expected around the state. It did mean that I got to knit though! I worked on Mike's second sleeve exclusively and got through two pattern repeats... not too bad, but not as much as I'd hoped. I also taught my knitting class at the elementary school on Tuesday. They are getting so good! This was the first class that we all just got to sit around and knit and chat without a ton of instruction from me. The girls would say "Oops" and I'd go over, fix there mistakes and then we'd continue on with the knitting and the chatting! What fun they are! They asked me if I'll be teaching another class next year and I suggested to them a class to make a vest for a teddy bear or an American Girl doll, they were all so excited so advanced class here we come! I'm so glad that I got this opportunity and that they are enjoying it! Woo hoo! Have a great weekend everyone... oh, and to answer Jen's question from yesterday... most of their colors are dark and not great for summer, so I'm doing Gyrid in the natural color. I started on the back, but the motif is only on the front! I'm anxious to try it out so I'll have to motor through the back to get to it. A word of caution to anyone thinking of doing patterns from this book... there are a TON of corrections on their website, so be sure to check it out before you start.Slow Day, but Not Much Knitting
March 3 2004
Meet my newest project, Gyrid. Isn't she purdy? She's from the Viking Knits Collection done in Silky Wool. Let me tell you, there is definite truth in advertising here, this wool is silky. (35% silk to be exact!) Off to knit on her.Gyrid
March 1 2004
Give a Hoot, be sure to Vote!
...or something like that. Tomorrow is the federal primary in ten
states... is yours one of them? Mike and I work the elections
with all of those wonderful old ladies! We'll be there all day
tomorrow.
See you at the polls.
Sock it To Me!
I've had limited knitting time lately, but I love the modular nature of
these socks. I can sit down, knit a diamond and continue on with
whatever else I have to do. The structure of the socks is
starting to become evident now. I've made a hole for the
heel. Check it out:
Maybe next time I'll have a modeled picture for you!
Off to check out Mag-Knits. I can't wait. Is everyone loving it so far? Congrats Kerrie!
