Monday, October 31, 2005
Happy Halloween!
First, I am sorry for the confusion over the previous post. The sign (with yarn ball clock) is actually a promo piece for an English Textbook. I don't think there is any relation between knitting and the book, as far as I can tell. Still, I love the knitting ball!I made it! Yes, I finished Anna's Halloween costume on Tuesday night so that she could wear it to her big Gymnastics Halloween party on Wednesday. Here she is:
Faerie Dress
Originally uploaded by amyeetx.
Happy Halloween!
She insisted on wearing her gymnastics leotard under the dress, which was just fine. I cut the netting and then recut it to make it a bit shorter. I discovered that even shorter might have been better, as she ripped a small piece while on the balance beam. (My mother informed me that the cosume was dangerous during gymnastics, regardless of all the padding. She is right, but Anna managed well.)
The skirt gets an elastic band in a casing and is then attached to the bodice. I haven't used my sewing machine in eons, but it still sews. I was glad I attached the skirt and the ribbons with the machine. Hand sewing would not have held up.
Good dog
Originally uploaded by amyeetx.
Even the dog loved this pink shiny costume (do dogs see color? sparkles?)
Here is the costume after class and the child with her cat face:
Party
Originally uploaded by amyeetx.
Other news? This weekend I had to give a paper at a conference in Houston. The paper went fine, the conference was fine, but I am convinced that my entire family ended up with a food born illness. If I remember correctly from my Serve Safe course, it takes 12-24 hours for the bacteria to build in your system and to show symptoms. Well, 12 hours from our Friday dinner at the hotel restaurant everyone but Anna had symptoms. Yuck. I feel really bad for my Mom who came in from New Hampshire to help and ended up with sick cranky people. Not great. Add to that my husband's jet lag from the end of his Paris trip... well you get the idea. I think it will be a lumpy week.
There was one pre-illness bright spot to the weekend, however. Friday night was the U2 show in Houston. I have had tickets since March (pre sale through U2.com), and they were general admission. That meant that we were on the floor and had a chance of the ellipse, the area right in front of the stage, if the computer program picked out our number. And, it did! We could see amazingly well, and the show was one of the best I have ever seen them do (I've seen about 12 shows over 20 years...) My husband declared that the show was the best rock show he had ever seen--and better than Bruce Springsteen! That's a huge compliment.
The crowd was full of pregnant women and "old folks". Must be something about the demographics of the crowd. My husband was so nervous that he would be the oldest guy there, but we saw tons of grey haired guys. In fact, I think we were one of the younger ones in the ellipse area. Hmm. Good to know we aren't quite as antiquated as we thought we were!
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Halloween Costume
I finished the bodice of Anna's Halloween costume. Look at the extra bits that I bought:
Halloween Costume
Originally uploaded by amyeetx.
I have to cut the tulle and sew it on to the bodice tonight, because the child wants to wear the costume to a party on Wednesday.
Otherwise? Check out this great sign that I received from someone at work:
Yarn Sign
Originally uploaded by amyeetx.
Monday, October 24, 2005
No Post Blogger
Call me the no post blogger. Let's just say that my overloaded semester is starting to catch up with me (yes, I'm officially overloaded, according to the University--Don't ask).What happened last week?
1. Funeral A good friend's Dad died last weekend, so we went to the viewing. We spent a good deal of time trying to explain to our three year old why Paw Paw was in the casket. We ended up telling her--when your body doesn't work anymore, then you go to heaven. We talked about whether to take her to the viewing, but decided that learning about the cycle of life was a positive thing, given the sterility of our culture.
2. Knitting The last piece of Gingham! Check out the huge collar!
Gingham Collar
Originally uploaded by amyeetx.
I'm sewing in all of those little ends. My goal is to block this sucker by this weekend.
3. Gymnastics Our small one loves gymnastics and has been going twice a week. She was named her teacher's student of the month this week, which translates to "your child loves to jump up and down like a crazy thing"! Favorite equipment? The vault, followed by the rings.
4. Visitors We spent the weekend with visitors! This is my long time friend, Alisa, and her small one. Alisa and I became friends in high school when we bonded against the catty high school girls who liked to make fun of what other students were wearing. It's awesome to have a friend that has stuck around for 20 years (oh--we bemoaned our age during the visit). Everywhere we went, people asked if the kids were brother and sister. And, I would like to point out that my daughter is 4 months younger than my friend's child. Anna continues to top out that 100% height chart. Must be the 6 5 foot grandfathers....
Originally uploaded by amyeetx.
More on our weekend during the week!
Monday, October 17, 2005
Go Gingham
I've made it through the sleeves. We had some serious counseling, some new mathematics, some recounting, and some creative usage of the images, but we are good. They are the same size when placed on top of each other.
Gingham Sleeves
Originally uploaded by amyeetx.
Notice that Rollins the cat is still obsessed with the Muench Naturwolle? It must have a lovely sheepy smell, because he rarely makes this sort of effort to move around unless there is food involved.
I am starting the large collar. This also involved some creative use of the pictures. I can see the stitch definition in the images and the number of stitches in the picture don't equal the pattern--or the way that I read the pattern. So, like the checkers in the body of the sweater, I'm following the picture. Hmph.
I also was able to find a few more items to add to my book and magazine collection. Like I need something else to read or knit! The new Sally Melville Color book is the highlight here. Her directions are SO wonderful and clear. Who else gives 3 different ways to hold the yarn in color work?
Knitting Books
Originally uploaded by amyeetx.
Thursday, October 13, 2005
Holiday Knitting
I think it is that time of the year--holiday knitting. Now, some of you potential giftees read the blog, so continue on at your own risk.Look at what I picked up the other day at my LYS:
Holiday Knitting
Originally uploaded by amyeetx.
Love, love, love this new Melanie Falick book, Handknit Holidays.
There are some really, really cute designs in the book. I'm particularly taken by some of the kids hats. I'm going to put a hat on the list for my niece in Cali. The yarn is for a scarf for my friend made from the Knitty pattern, Branching Out. It just looks like her. I have one other scarf to make and then a vest. That's it. I don't want to do the crazy knitting fest, so this will hit those who will appreciate hand knits.
On the other hand, this doesn't mean that I don't get to have a wish list too. Here's what is on mine:
Wish List
Originally uploaded by amyeetx.
This is from the Rebecca winter magazine, 2004. I'm always looking for the perfect black sweater. The yarn has real possibilities. What do you think?
Amelie Yarn
Originally uploaded by amyeetx.
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Fairy Dress
Gingham's sleeves and I are having some issues. We've been thinking about some knitting therapy involving counting, measuring, and row gauge.Since we were on the outs, I decided to make a litle progress on my daughter's Halloween costume, the Fairy Dress or, as I like to refer to it--the Faerie Dress.
Fairy Dress
Originally uploaded by amyeetx.
I completed the back and really like the little ribbing section that rolls down the back. Anna is, so far, interested in the product, unlike the woeful response to the poncho last year.
Wednesday, October 05, 2005
On the Needles: Gingham
Ever have one of those weeks that make you feel like you are completing the work that you were supposed to do three months ago? yup. That's this week--and the whole semester. I am currently perching in another office waiting for my furniture to arrive. It will be nice to have a helpful new desk, but this waiting is tough. I miss my own space--space that doesn't smell like cigarette smoke from 1970.I have been working on a new project from my stash:
Interweave Knit's Gingham Pattern
Originally uploaded by amyeetx.
This is Gingham, from Interweave Knits Winter 00?, in Jewel colorway, Muench Naturwolle. I bought it from Theresa, who was having a stash reduction sale on her blog, Knitting the Blues. I am enjoying this fast knit. The yarn sort of reminds me of Colinette 5 point, but it is softer and less wooly smelling. I'm making the smallest size, since I don't want it hugely oversized (like the picture). So far the measurements suggest it won't be, but it looks like the wool will stretch with soaking, blocking and wear. I'm hoping it will end up exactly right.
I laid out the back and two fronts, tacking them down with some pins.
Gingham Back
Originally uploaded by amyeetx.
They are obviously in need of some serious blocking. This is only the second time that have done any intarsia, but, except for a little rolling, I think it is going pretty well. A little tugging suggests that it will block out nicely.
Originally uploaded by amyeetx.
These look a little uneven, but they are actually very, very close in size. Again, needs some serious blocking. Notice my lazy old cat? He loves the wool--must be the smell. He wanted to sit and chew on the ends during the picture session.
Here's the back, so you can see the strands that I carried. Hope this works.
Gingham Back Stranded
Originally uploaded by amyeetx.
And, in response to my mother who was complaining of the lack of kid pictures, here is the child. She dressed up in beads, hat and boots to hang out on the back deck in our more temperate 93 degree weather last weekend.
Dressed up
Originally uploaded by amyeetx.
Boots, you say? Well, we live in Texas, so we might as well get with it and buy some boots. I LOVE them.
New Boots
Originally uploaded by amyeetx.
