Sickie poo socks

Well, after the craptacular week last week, my body has decided that a good old fashioned cold would be good this week. My head is spinning, nose running, and throat hurting. Other than that I am fine. Since I haven't had too much energy this week, the only thing I have bee working on is socks. Socks are great to work on when lying in bed. I have one pair by the bed, and the other by the computer. Since I have been home from work, I have been lucky to IM Jen in the UK the past two days. I work on the socks while chatting with her.

The *blue* pair is actually purple Trekking. I am doing this on two circs I got from Erin. She never wants to use them again. Actually, she came to a Stitch n Bitch meeting and slammed them on the table and said she would never make socks with them again. Since the needles were Audi's, I thought I would give it a whorl. I don't mind the method, but I don't think I'll be giving up my DPNs anytime soon.

The yellow pair is a lovely spring sock made from Stapaz Cotton Effects (45% Cotton, 40% superwash wool, and nylon: I may have the figures wrong), so they'll be nice for Spring and summer.

Thinking has not been working for me this week, so both pairs are rather plain st st. I like to do the self-striping socks in st st anyway. Shows off the yarn best.

Okay, here is my official count for the yarn diet:

1 pink sweater
6 hats for Dulaan
1 I skinned a load of Muppets afghan (long story)
1 finished WIP sweater for Cindy
1 pair of Bell Lace Socks

So, 10 items done!

Still working on:

1 Denim Style Sweater for Sly
1 Wool-ease Sweater for me
1 more pair of Bell Lace Socks (with personal corrections from published pattern)
and the 2 socks you see in the pic.

Things I haven't touched in a LONG time:

World's Ugliest Shawl
Stranded Afghan

Well, I think that is all for now. I am kinda pooped again anyway.

Craptacular Week

Frankly, my week has been just plain, shitty (okay, now someone go and report me to my boss)!

I started my period this week, which is always SO much fun for me. I know most woman dis-like their periods, but mine have been a gruesome experience for me since I started having them. Frankly, the only good thing about having PCOS is that I have very few.

Bloating, check!
Headache, check!
Cramps, check!

So, everything I started knitting this week, I frogged this week. I have nothing to show you, so THERE!

I'll be back to my pleasant self next week. I am taking a nap now.

The good, the bad, and the ugly

I have had to frog something while on the yarn diet. This really really sucks. I started the Skull Socks of Fury, (Sly was bothering me to make sure I posted the link to the pattern for Mrs. Snake) and they were looking fantastic. I was totally pleased with how they were turning out. I used a left over half skein of Lamb's Pride in purple, and a skein in black. My DD loved the socks, and I thought, great, I have enough yarn for two pairs. Then, along about the heel turn, disaster!

Fair isle can get a little tight. All that carrying of extra yarn. One can not help but pull at it a bit too much. Well, the socks are just a bit too tight. Actually, I can't get them over my heel at all. My daughter can't either. So, time to frog! Damn. The problem should be taken care of by a bigger needle and a looser hand. But the socks looked so cool, I wanted you all to see them.

After that stunning defeat (can you tell I am just a little bitter?), I cast on the Bell Lace Socks with Wool-ease. I used one of my last balls of a discontinued color that I just love. The first sock turned out great. I love it, and the pattern is a piece of cake to do. They are even Birk approved (that means I can wear them with my Birkenstocks).

I spent the weekend helping my mother move. They have sold their house in Valpo and bought a smaller, easier to care for place down on Lake Shafer. Well, the new house has an electric dryer, so mom had to give up her four-year-old-oversized-quiet running Maytag gas dryer. And since these things normally come in pairs, I am now the proud owner of a dryer that I DIDN'T find on the side of the road and its washer mate. Yes, folks, you read that right. For the last four years, I have been using a dryer that I found on the side of the road, during a snowstorm no less.

That was until mom gave me this lovely new set. Please note that my laundry room is really just an old pantry. It is a pain in the tookucs doing laundry in there. But at least I am doing it in style now.

Another bit of good news. MY CAR COMES HOME TODAY!!!!! I am really very happy :) about this. I hate not being able to just jump in the car and drive off. Six months is a long time. But, looks like everything is all fixed, and the new engine is doing great. So, look for me to be running around on a street near you soon.

Okay, I KNOW I promised to post the new pattern. I just haven't taken the time to re-knit the pattern to make sure I know what I did. Soon, soon.

Lots and lots of photos of stupid stuff

Today's photo-plooza will begin with my dog sleeping. I really don't know why he sleeps this way. Guess he wants the world to know he's a man. But, there is my sweet, and rather stupid, dog Buddy. He is a cutie pie.

Next up, a really stupid picture of my son, Tony. Hard to believe he is all grown up and off to Ball State in the fall. He got his acceptance letter last week, so now he seems to think it is okay to loose his ever-lovein' mind. He really is a great kid, just goofy as hell.

Not to be out done by her little brother, Michelle is making stupid faces for your viewing enjoyment. Now, this is a fine example of a real-live, hard-working adult here! What a ding dong.
So, here is how I spend most of my time. Sitting on my comfy sofa knitting something or other.

There you are folks, 5, count 'em, FIVE hats for the Dulaan project. All 100% wool. All made with bits of scraps that I was saving in my stash for goodness only knows what. While a couple of these hats are sorta ugly, I think several are actually pretty nice. Also, since they are all wool, they will keep some little child very warm. You may recongnise several balls of Noro in there. I finally know what to do with all those little balls left over after making Sweet Mary Janes.

Here are Sly's new Wool-ease Sport weight socks. I am really disappointed to here that Lion Brand has made the rather stupid mistake of discontinuing this great product. One ball will produce several very nice pairs of socks. I am sure they need to get rid of all their useful products to make room for more sucky Fun Fur lines.

Last photo, a lovely, old pine armoire that my mother gave me. Isn't just fantastic? It is very useful too. One side is for hanging clothes, the other has shelves. Actually, both sides have hanging rods, and the shelves seem to be a newer addition to the piece. I am sure this was a wardrobe for someone way back when houses didn't have closets.

Anyway, I am going to work up a couple more coffee cup cozies just to make sure I understand my notes. I'll post the pattern in a day or two.

Post, but no pics!

I was so going to post pics of all the stuff I have done. You saw the pink sweater; well, now there are 5 wool hats for Dulaan (Erin, I have found a use for all the little bits of Noro!), a pair of Wool-ease sportweight socks for Sly, and a coffee cup cozy (for which I will have a pattern for you all). I even took a photo of my new-old armoire just to show off. Then the batteries to my camera died. I can't find the battery charger. Sly has it hidden somewhere I am sure. So, pics tomorrow. For those of you keeping track, I have 7 out of 20 projects done. I am not counting the cozy; it's small. The sweaters are moving along nicely.

And the winner is .....

We Call Them pirates Suggested by The Scattered Gemini. She will receive a knitter's grab bag filled with all sorts of nifty items to play with.

There was a second place winner as well (with an equally cool grab bag)

Mr. Dangly (okay, that name is just DIRTY), suggested by Teresa

The winners should contact me at mollyknitssweaters AT yahoo DOT com to make arrangements to ship prizes. Check back to see my progress on these very fun projects.

To all of you, thank you for your suggestions. There was a world of inspiration, and it was difficult to pick just two winners. I may be running another contest soon, so try again.

Tomorrow, I will share all the wool hats I have made for Dulaan.

Knitting Updates

I want to start off by saying "thank you" to all of you who have entered my contest so far. You guys have some really wonderful ideas, and it is going to be tough to pick a winner.

As many of you know, I am a bargain shopper. I find deals and deep discounts all over. I have been going through my stash of stuff bought-so-cheap-it-was-damn-near-free, and I have come up with two gift bags for prizes in the contest. There will be a first and second place winner. I think I can come up with some stuff for a third place winner as well. So, tell your friends and keep sending those ideas. The little bags will have care lables, decorative tape measures, knitting note cards, yarn, one has a small cross stitch kit, and other assorted goodies.

On to knitting updates. The first, near finished, yarn diet project is this sweet (it'll give ya a toothache) sweater I designed for my niece Jessica (or snot butt as I call her). It is made from some of my bargain bin yarn, so it was like $2.50 to make. I still need to figure out what kind of color I want to put on it, but you get the general idea.

The boarder is garter stitch, and the hearts are done fair isle with another garter stitch row to frame the fair isle design. The sleeve were done with the same technique, and it will be a V neck when done. The yarn is Fashion Knit which is an acrylic yarn treated with aloe to make it softer. Not a bad little yarn.

I cast on this next sweater yesterday for Sly. It is a pretty easy pattern, and I like the Denim Style yarn, stonewash color. It should be nice with jeans. Sly is a big guy, so this will use up lots of stash yarn, and take a while. But, that is okay. Sly is a good guy! ;)

This last update is the sweater I started before the Knitting Olympics. I finished the front as a kind of "training" for the KO. I am up to the arm holes on the back (or front, they are the same). It is a long, big tunic style sweater that should be great for everyday wear and jeans. It is made in Wool-ease, Pine color.

Well, that is all for now. Enjoy my nerdy quiz results below!

Proving Once Again that I am a NERD!

You scored as Enterprise D (Star Trek). You have high ideals and know in your heart that humanity will continue to evolve in a better people. No matter what may happen, you have faith in human beings. A rare quality. Now if only the Borg would quit assimilating people. Enterprise D (Star Trek) 94% Deep Space Nine (Star Trek) 88% Galactica (Battlestar: Galactica) 75% Babylon 5 (Babylon 5) 75% Andromeda Ascendant (Andromeda) 75% SG-1 (Stargate) 75% Serenity (Firefly) 75% Moya (Farscape) 75% Millennium Falcon (Star Wars) 63% Nebuchadnezzar (The Matrix) 56% FBI's X-Files Division (The X-Files) 31% Bebop (Cowboy Bebop) 25% Your Ultimate Sci-Fi Profile II: which sci-fi crew would you best fit in? (pics) created with QuizFarm.com

Happy Birthday Tony

Today is my Son Tony's 18th birthday, so I officially have no more babies. This pic was taken in May before prom. The girl is my daughter Michelle (they didn't go to prom together, they had dates, but who wants to see them?)

Any way, just want to wish my Baby Boy a happy birthday, and acknowledge the wonderful young woman who is my daughter. It is a privilege to be your mother.

CONTEST

So, I am sitting here trying to dream up all sorts of wonderful things to knit while I am on my Yarn Diet (I NEED to buy yarn), and I just don't know what to do next. 20 things is a lot of knitting. So, I thought it would be fun to have a little "Pick Lesa's Next Project" contest. The winner will get a knitter's goody bag (with a tape measure, care labels, very cool lint paper, and a ball of yarn plus anything else I can think of).

Basically, I want you all to inspire me to create something wonderful.

Rules:

1. I will not buy new yarn to make anything. My stash is huge, and I have more than enough for sweaters, hats, scarves, mittens, and socks. But, any pattern that uses special or novelty yarn may be out of the running before I start. Worsted, DK, Bulky, and sock yarns are all in my stash in ample supply, so yarn weight is too much of an issue.

2. While I'll consider buying a book, any patterns in books are subject to availability. Please feel free to suggest things in books, but something really wonderful that I don't have access to may hurt your chances of winning. Same goes for magazines, but I do have YEARS worth of Family Circle Easy Knitting, most of the Creative Knitting, Knit It, and Knit1 if you would like to suggest something from these, you should be fine.

3. I would really like to see something new, different, or just plain strange. The out of the ordinary will appeal to me.

4. I am a plus size woman, so patterns in smaller sizes my get over looked if my daughter doesn't like them.

5. You may enter as often as you wish. Please make all suggestions as comments. Please, check to make sure that your suggestions has not been submitted. In the case of double submissions of the same pattern, the first poster will win.

6. I will pick the winner on March 10, 2006.

7. It is possible that a 2nd and 3rd place winners could be added if there are lots of things I want to make.

Good Luck, I can't wait to see what you all come up with!

Tomorrow I should be done with the icky sweet sweater I designed for my niece. It'll give you all a toothache!