Baby Albert

He is finally finished, well except the buttons. I seem to have a button shortage in my house. I had a 7 hour staff meeting yesterday, to make up for the cancelled one last week, so I was able to finish the little sweater and make my Secret Pal exchange gift. I love getting paid to sit and knit. Now I need to do a little work on the crayon box child's jacket so I don't get fired as a shop model knitter at my LYS. (just kidding Cathi). And I think I may finish the I cord on the Ohhh Bag Me bag, and then the July bag is done, except a button ... of course. I hope I don't jinx us, but it is beautiful here in south central Indiana today. I hope it is wherever you are too.

The Bag Lady Returns

I just finished the new Dorothy Bag from Black Sheep Bags. I knit it in fall colors and like the way it turned out. I did the attached I-cord a little too tight, so the top pulls in a little more than I would like. I thought this bag had a flap, it took me a while to realize that the bag is just folded over ... duh!. I am a little slow at 2 AM, that is when I was finishing it. It still needs a button, then it is officially done. Cascade 220 sure does reek when it is felting. My husband says it smells like perm solution, but I think it is worse than that.



I am working on the I-cord for the July "Oh Bag Me" group, and then I will have another bag finished. I am glad my 8 year old wants that bag, I don't know what I would do with it otherwise.

I am working on the Pinwheel sweater too. I have quite a bit more done than what is in the picture. I am on the fifth color and I really like this sweater. I can't wait to get t finished, but it is a little too warm to knit on it right now. It is like knitting under an blanket.
Well, that is about all for today. Happy knitting all!

First Clue Finished

I joined the Yahoo Group Mystery Stole 2. I am loving this pattern. I am finished with the first side of the first clue and have the first row done on the second clue. I think I will finish the second clue and then start the other side. Maybe I can get it done before the 3rd clue comes out this week. I am using fingering wt. Merino, which I dyed, and I think it is showing the pattern well. I am dying more today and hoping to get it close enough to the first batch. My kids are complaining about the smell though, they hate it when I dye yarn. But I want to have it done and ready to go when I need it. Thanks Melanie for a great pattern.

It's a Bobble Invasion

I felted the Noni Bobble bag tonight. How am I going to give this thing a haircut, and WHY did I use Lopi? I knew it would be a fuzzy mess when it was felted, I just didn't think of all of those pesky little bobbles getting in the way during the shaving process... live and learn. It was a very time consuming bag to knit, not a difficult knit just a time hog. I wish I had remembered to bring handles home with me today from the LYS, so I could officially finish it this weekend. I will settle for it drying and try to defuzz it, and then worry about the handles on Monday.

I also want to show what little progress I have made on the Baby Albert. Why haven't I finished this yet? Why, why? Well, I don't know. I like knitting it and it is small, so one would think it would be a quick one to do. I have no excuse... other than the Bobble Invasion.














Well, I am done for the night. It is late, I am tired so it is time to shut things down. Goodnight all!

No Baby Yet ...

I really thought I would have the Baby Albert Sweater finished by now, but I don't. I did however, manage to finish a pair of socks that have been sadly neglected for weeks. They are just a Plain Jane pair of socks knit in Opal Rainforest in the Parrot colorway. That makes for a boring knit and that is why it took so long to finish them... anyway that is my story and I am sticking to it.

I am still plugging away on the Baby Albert. I have a 6 hour staff meeting tonight at work, so I will take it along. I should be able to make a big dent in it, and my secret pal exchange gift during that time. So far they haven't complained about me knitting through those things. Thank goodness, I don't think I could survive them otherwise.
Happy knitting all

Reserve Grand Champion

I entered a little baby dress in the county fair and I got a Reserve Grand Champion. How exciting. I haven't entered anything in the fair since I was a kid... and that was a long time ago, anyway it seems like a long time ago. Some of my friends and students entered items too, and they all got first place ribbons. I am so happy knitting is making such a great come back. One year I went and there were just a few dish cloths and a baby blanket there. This year there was a wide variety of items entered.
I am still working on Baby Albert, he is close to getting done. I showed it to a friend the other day and she said it looks like Joseph's coat of many colors. I am really liking the way it is turning out. I should be able to finish it this weekend ... I hope. I am working on a Noni Bag also. I am about half way done with that. I am making the bobble bag and it is very time consuming. I hope to have pictures of both by the beginning of the week.

It's a roll neck...

I was beginning to think I wasn't supposed to make this sweater. I had a hard time getting gauge to begin with. Then the jogs for the stripes are right in the middle of the chest until you start the body. And then, worst of all, last night after I tucked in the last of the tails, my daughter tries it on and says, " Mom, I need help getting it off." Now, she doesn't have a freakishly large head, but it has always measured in the 95th% on the growth chart. after we get it over her head, she informs me she heard and few snaps and pops. One would think that would be my clue to do a little investigating... but not me. I take that sweater and throw in the wash for a good soak. I wish I had thought to take a picture of what I pulled out of the washing machine, but I think I was in shock. The neck was unraveling... I have NEVER had this happen before. So I took that wet sweater out of the wash and undid that neck and threw it back in to finish the gentle cycle. This morning, after it was completely dry, I reknit the neck, (making it a little looser this time) and it fits fine. No problem getting it over the head this time. Finished just in time for the class that begins tonight.

I haven't worked too much on the shawl I mentioned in an earlier post, but Baby Albert is coming along nicely. Still hope to have that done soon, as it is a very quick knit. Now I need to run to the grocery so I can feed my family for the next week or so ... I hate going to the grocery store!

Finished Just in Time

My nephew's birthday was today, but the party was yesterday. I had decided to make him a throw for his birthday, and then was worried that I wouldn't be able to finish it in time. It was originally going to be for Christmas... what was I thinking. Thank goodness my husband decided to come along for the party, or I would have been knitting and driving over to Ohio... not a good combination. I finished it in route and it turned out really nice, anyway I think it did. And I think he liked, it is hard to tell with boys .. . I mean young men. The pattern is from the Little Box of Throws and it is knit in Reynolds Utopia.

New on the needles this week is a shawl and the Baby Albert sweater. I hope to have them both finished by the end of the week. I will have pictures of them then.

I hope everyone has a safe and happy 4th