Baby Baseball Tee

I finished another baby knit. Those tiny items sure are fast and satisfying.

Pattern: Babe Baseball Tee from Knit 2 Together
Yarn: TLC Cotton Plus, 1 ball each, yellow and light blue
Needles: Knitpicks Options US size 6 & 4

Comments: This was a quick, easy knit. It had more seaming than I thought necessary, but I really like the end result. The yarn and needles I used were both a bit bigger than those recommended so the whole thing is a wee bit bigger, but that's fine; baby's grow fast.

I'm having a great time with Ravelry, but I have only entered a few projects, yarns, books, etc. so far. I'm going to have to spend some serious time with it one day soon to get my projects up to date. I can see that it's going to be a valuable resource for me though. I love being able to see other people's projects and read about their experiences knitting them. What a brilliant website it is!

I'm in!

I got my Ravelry invite! Wooohoo! They must have made some huge progress, because just a couple days ago there were 15,000 people in line ahead of me. I'm psyched. My Ravelry username is Smeelia. (Cecilia was taken.) I've done nothing with it yet though and probably won't until next week. I'm excited to be in though.

New Look

I decided to give my blog a bit of a makeover. I realized that I find other people's blogs easiest to look at when they have a plain white background, and san serif fonts. So why on earth would I not use that look for my own blog?!

I found myself in a decluttering mood this morning, and I started going through boxes in the garage. There is lots of stuff out there that we just never found a place for when we moved. So I did a lot of tossing of things that had no sentimental value, and no apparent place in our home, recycling and consolidating other stuff. I was able to get rid of two large boxes, with one more almost ready to be tossed. That's satisfying work!

Tomorrow we're heading out to attend a family wedding. So of course now is when I should be checking to see that I have something suitable to wear. But I like to live dangerously, so I think I'm just going to wing it. Hope I don't regret that decision.

Have a great weekend all!

Sloth

My back has been really bothering me lately, just aching all the time. I decided it might be because I've become such a sloth recently*, for a variety of reasons (aka, excuses). I have terrible posture, and I mostly just slouch at my desk all day, and then go home and slouch on the sofa. Slothy Celia. So I thought, maybe I need to be a little more active, and maybe I should even try to find some exercises that will specifically strengthen my back and abdominals. So last night I popped in my "Firm and Burn Pilates" DVD. It's really more aerobics than pilates, but it uses some pilates principles and moves (or so it says) so it does tend to focus on "the core" (mid-section, abs, back, etc.). I like this workout - not too bouncy or jumpy, but definitely challenging, especially to sloths like me. So today my back might be feeling the teensiest bit better, but the rest of me is aching from using some long out of practice muscles. My thighs and butt are especially sore. I guess it's a good kind of sore, but that's a little hard to distinguish from a regular ol' back ache. I almost called my chiropractor today, but I think I'll tough it out for another day or two, and keep exercising my core, and maybe the rest of me too. I really ought to try some yoga. That would probably be just the thing. And, for other reasons, I will be starting acupuncture next week. How exciting for me, no?

Check out this picture of a big ol' bee hive/nest spotted while hiking last weekend.

Ain't that somethin'? It was just hanging there about 7 or 8 feet from the trail. Zillions of big black bees flying in and out. And it's huge! Probably at least 2 feet wide. Doesn't it have a beautiful finish on it.

*To clarify, I'm not always a sloth. Normally I get quite a bit of exercise, usually in the form of walking, but this has been a particularly slothy summer for me. And ask me if I care if "slothy" isn't a "real" word!

Next Up

I struggled for a bit about what project to start next. I enjoyed working on that Pea Pod Baby Set; it was the perfect balance of interesting lace and a quick, fairly easy knit. So I leafed through some books and found this sporty baby ensemble in my new Knit 2 Together book:

I started on this immediately, and it's moving right along. As I said before, I do love the baby knits. They're so quick and safisfying. I don't even have any babies to knit for at the moment, but I'm sure some will come along soon, and I will be good and ready. Because this sweater is pretty much all stockinette, I'm using it as an opportunity to practice purling continental. I am very comfortable with the continental knit stitch, but I still really struggle with the purl. I'm getting better at it, but still have issues with keeping a consistent guage. Soon I will have it mastered though.

We bought ourselves a Prius on Saturday. They're not the sleekest looking vehicles, but it is fun to drive and it has some really nice features, not the least of which is the amazing gas mileage. Here's our fancy charcoal gray model.

Today we decided we needed to take that baby out on the road, so we went for a drive through Napa County. The city of Napa seemed pretty darn quiet at noon on a Sunday so we just did a drive through. We stopped for lunch in Yountville, and then on to St. Helena for some walking around. Turns out they have a very nice yarn store in St. Helena, with a very helpful and friendly owner, and a beautiful selection of yarn. And, lucky for me, they were having a huge sale. Lots of their yarn was 40% off. Woohoo. Score! So I picked up a few items...

Some Jo Sharp Alpaca Silk Georgette to make this "Lacy Hug Me Tight" from Knit 2 Together. The pattern calls for Blue Sky Alpaca Silk, which, as it turns out was also 40% off. I'm kicking myself now for not getting some. But I think this yarn will also be lovely.

A ball of pink Rowan Calmer to make a Shedir hat. I never see the Calmer on sale. So I'm very pleased to have scored a ball for 40% off.

And 5 balls of Elsebeth Lavold Cotton Patine, which is a lovely, soft light worsted/dk weight cotton . I don't know what I'll make with this, but I was thinking some sort of summery tank or tee. I'm open to suggestions.

Oh how I wish my turn would come up at Ravelry. I'm thinking that will help me answer my what should I do with this yarn questions in the future. But for now there are still 16,048 people in line ahead of me, so I will be patient and try to figure it out on my own.

The Prius and the Pea Pod

The Pea Pod Baby set is done! Well, all except the buttons that is. Oh my goodness what a cute little sweater/hat set this is. I love it!

Pattern: Pea Pod Baby Set, free from Interweave Knits
Yarn: Lion Brand Microspun, color: Leaf
Needles: Knitpicks Options, size 5

I don't know how well this yarn will wash and wear, but it sure knit up beautifully and it is sooooo soft. I'm very pleased with it. The pattern was interesting and knit up pretty quick, as baby knits usually do. I'm quite pleased with it.

Now I must admit that I'm at a bit of a loss about what to start next. I was thinking about starting a pair of Hedera socks, in a sort of denim blue color. Or some Monkeys out of Collinette Jitterbug in a bright blue variegated yarn. I think I'll wind that this evening and see how I feel about it. I am also thinking about returning to the Mystery Stole, aka Swan Lake Stole.

So we're preparing to buy a new car. Probably a Prius. We've tried out the Civic Hybrid and the Prius. Nothing else even comes close in terms of fuel efficiency. So probably this weekend we'll become the proud owners of a brand new car.

Sweet Pea

Oh darling baby knits, how you charm me. I've been wanting to knit the Pea Pod Baby Set from the day I first saw it. Now I'm finally working on it and I love it. The color is not right in this picture - it's a little more olivey, and not so dark. I'll try to better capture the color when it's done. I'm starting to feel more inspired about starting new projects. I'm still stuck about the mystery stole. Just letting that one marinate in the basket til I decide what to do with it. But I'm looking forward to starting something new too - maybe a sweater for me. It's hard to think about starting on some wool knitting right now, since it's almost 100 degrees, but soon it'll be time for that.

I just ordered Knit 2 Together, by Tracy Ullman & Mel Clarke from Amazon just because it was on sale so cheap. $5.50! How could I not give it a try? The thing is that I never knit anything out of the books that I already have. I'm just not a very prolific knitter I guess. I mean, I've done a few shawls out of Folk Shawls, and socks out of Favorite Socks and Sensational Knitted Socks. But I've been meaning to do a sweater out of Knitting Nature but haven't got around to it. I won Domikitrix in a drawing from Craftsanity, but haven't seriously searched through it for something fun to knit. Heck, I'd love to knit something from Interweave Knits, but it's like I'm the slowest knitter in the world or something. I guess I'm feeling a little guilty for accumulating knitting books (and magazines) and not knitting anything out of them. And frustrated that I'm not producing more beautiful knitted items. But what the heck...I'm working on it at my leisure, right. I'm trying to create more balance in my life - spending time exercising, reading, etc. which might otherwise be all knitting time. So it's all good, right?

Precious

I don't care what you say, these booties are about the sweetest thing ever for tiny feet. And they knit up as fast as can be. I'll for sure be making more of these. They are the perfect quick little baby gift.

Pattern: Saartje's Booties (free download!)
Yarn: Knitpicks Essential in Pumpkin and Trekking XXL, color #110
Needles: Knitpicks Circulars size 1
Comments: This pattern is seriously brilliant!

Green

Look I finally have something knitted to show you! I am so very pleased with myself for completing a project (even if it is just socks), and I am so excited about my beautiful new socks.

Pattern: Embossed Leaves Socks from Favorite Socks

Yarn: Knitpicks Essential in Grass

Needles: Knitpicks circular (magic loop), size 2 for the cuff and first repeat, size 1 for the rest

I loved this pattern. I really liked the 16 stitch, 16 row repeats. It made the socks really zip along. The toe is crazy and fascinating, and I do kinda like it. I will definitely make this pattern again. I think they are so pretty!

The deep blue sea

I do still knit. Just so you know. I have been in a bit of a slump for sure, but I haven't given it up or anything. Maybe I'll even have some FO pictures soon. I'm totally stuck on the Mystery Stole. I'm not loving the whole wing thing. And I'm not so inspired to start a second identical half and graft just now. So I set it aside. I'm working on some super fun socks. Then maybe I'll start on some baby stuff. Gotta love the speed of baby knitting.

Last Sunday, we took a drive to the coast which was so beautiful and peaceful and healing. Iam sometimes just shocked and amazed at how spectacular the Sonoma coast can be. There were waves of fog was just hugging the shore which made for perfect temperatures, and the sea was the most stunning blue.

Checking In

Please forgive my spotty blogging in recent weeks. I am going through a bit of a rough spell in my life and at the moment I'm not even too inspired by knitting, though I haven't completely given it up or anything either. I have made some progress on the Mystery Stole, though I have fallen a bit behind. There's a wee bit of controversy about the theme, (released on Friday) which is Swan Lake, and the design, which is a wing shape. The alternative is to repeat the first half of the stole and kitchner the halves together for a more symmetrical look. I haven't decided which option to follow, though I am inclined to follow the design as written. I think Melanie is a brilliant designer and I think I will trust her instinct. Her other designs are just gorgeous. I'm looking forward to seeing other people's progress on it so I can make a more informed decision about how I want to continue.

I finished, well all except the finishing, some precious baby booties from this pattern. They are precious. I'll post pictures at a later date.

For now I leave you with a picture of me and my beautiful stepdaughters wading in Mono Lake.

Go With the Flow

I actually really liked this sock pattern. It's Go With the Flow from Favorite Socks. It was easy, repetetive, but not so boring as plain stockinette. And I like the result, a stretchy, comfy, simple sock. The yarn is Knitpicks Essential in Pumpkin.

And tomorrow it's time for a new Mystery Stole clue!

I'm back!

After a very fun mini-vacation, I've returned to blogland. The vacation technically only accounts for 4 days of my absence, but I'm going to go ahead and use that as an excuse. And where, you might ask, did I go on my mini-vacation? Well, we did a nice long family vacation style road trip with my hubby and two 20-something stepdaughters to Mammoth Lakes, which included some fabulous sight seeing opportunities, including Mono Lake, Bodie (the coolest ghost town ever!), and Devil's Postpile. Also a drive through Yosemite, only because it is on the way. Lordy was it a lot of hours of driving. But oh so much beauty to be experienced on the Eastern side of the Sierras. Gorgeousness. We stayed at this fabulous chalet, which was spacious and beautiful, and quiet as all get-out. I loved that!

And I did get a fair amount of knitting done too. Finished my Clue 3 of the Mystery Shawl. And I just finished my Go With the Flow Socks from Favorite Socks. Pictures of that next time. Here are a few vacation photos.

Devil's Postpile

That's all I've got for now. I may post a few more photos soon. Yay for vacay!

More Baby Socks

More baby socks. You sure can get a lot of baby socks out of some leftover sock yarn. These are so fun and fast. Yarn is J.Knits, North Carolina colorway. Socks are 40 stitch 2x2 rib with short row heels. Couldn't be easier!

Productivity

I was sort of house-bound for a few days this week, so I had a fair amount of knitting time. I made another Vine Lace Baby Hat - a very sweet little project from Knitting Daily. This is the second one I've made, and I enjoy it. I'll probably make one or two more. I used the recommended yarn (Cool Wool) in a minty green color. I also began a "Go With the Flow" sock from Favorite Socks. It's a nice, easy stitch pattern, 6 stitches in a 4 row repeat. Super easy to memorize, and I'm liking how cushy and stretchy they're coming out.

I also got started on my Mystery Stole. I think this is going to be a beautiful pattern. Melanie is a brilliant lace designer and I'm confident that this design will be gorgeous. So far I'm liking it quite well. It's my first experience in knitting with beads, and I'm so glad I decided to give it a shot. It's not nearly as difficult as I had imagined, and I think I will be very pleased with the result. (The beads are tiny and mostly clear, so you can't really see them in this picture, but I think they will add a nice sparkle once the shawl is done.)

And, today, to celebrate my return to the greater world, Pete and I took the ferry to San Francisco. I've lived in Sonoma County for 10 years, and this is the first time I've taken the ferry to the city. It was great fun! The trip is beautiful, and on Saturdays there is a wonderful, huge, farmers market at the ferry building, so we had a great time wandering around, eating, and shopping for produce.
Hurray for Saturdays!

Kimono Shawl Complete

My Kimono Shawl is complete! It's a crappy picture, but it's the best I can do for now. I'm very pleased with the result. It was a lovely pattern, not too difficult, engaging enough. Details below.


Pattern: Kimono Shawl from Folk Shawls by Cheryl Oberle
Yarn: laceweight alpaca, a gift from my friend Katy who got it in
Buenos Aires
Needles: Knitpicks Options, size 6
Finished Size: 72" x 24" blocked
Modifications: I did 18 instead of 25 repeats.
Completed: June 25, 2007

Quick Update

I have no interesting photos to share today, but I hate to let a whole week go by without a blog post, so here I am. I am very nearly done with my Kimono Shawl. I expect to finish it tonight or tomorrow and block tomorrow evening. I'm working on more baby socks - they are so cute and gratifying. I'm going to have a couple days at home this week so I'm hoping to get some more knitting done. I'm debating whether to start the Pea Pod Baby set, or another Vine Lace baby hat, or maybe some of these baby booties, or some more socks from Favorite Socks. I suppose I can do all of the above. The Mystery Stole Knitalong starts on Friday, June 29th so I'll probably stick to small stuff until then.

I had a very nice visit with my brother this week who was visiting from Venezuela.

Have a great week!

Okay, maybe I AM a slacker

I'm having a little trouble lately keeping up with regular blog posts. I guess I just have too much other stuff going on right now, which I will talk about one of these days. But I have been knitting some. Making good progress on my Kimono Shawl. It seems huge to me already, but I've only done 15 out of 25 repeats, so I still have quite a ways to go. I still like the pattern quite a lot. It takes just the right amount of concentration for my tired brain (which is to say, not that much). I can knit on it while I watch tv, movies, etc. So it's perfect for me right now.

Also, I made this adorable pair of baby socks. Lordy those baby items just knit up so fast and are as adorable as can be. I think there will be many more of these socks in my knitting future. All that leftover sock yarn can amuse me by becoming tiny socks. Sweet!

And that's all I've got for now. And here's a request, if you're reading this and you know me in real life (truth is, hardly anyone who knows me in real life knows about or reads my blog, but if you do), leave me a comment so I know you're out there. If you don't know me in real life, feel free to leave me a comment too so I'll know you're out there as well.

Waving Lace Socks

I FINALLY finished my waving lace socks. I don't know why these took me so long, but I'm very pleased with the result. Actually I'm going to go ahead and acknowledge that these socks would work better in a solid colored yarn, but I do love this J. Knits sock yarn so I'm happy with my socks. And I ordered a bunch of Knitpicks Essential sock yarn in a variety of solid colors so I can make some other socks from this book.

Pattern: Waving Lace Socks from Favorite Socks

Yarn: J.Knits in Boston colorway

Needles: Knitpicks Circular, size 1, magic loop

Modifications: I used an eye of the partridge heel.

And, I just got word that another Mystery Stole knitalong is beginning soon. I've never done one of these knitalongs, but I think Melanie designs beautiful lace, so I signed up. And, as luck would have it, I happen to have the right amount (1200 yards) of the same yarn as she will be using (Zephyr Wool-Silk Laceweight in Vanilla) in my stash. How handy is that?! I don't have a big stash, so this is actually fairly miraculous. Anyway, I'm looking forward to starting that, but I better get some work done on my Kimono Shawl before I get distracted by this new project.

Vine Lace Baby Hat

I finally have a finished object!


It is the Vine Lace Baby Hat, from a recent issue of Knitting Daily. It was a fast knit, and the yarn is lovely. It is the project recommended yarn, Lana Grossa Cool Wool 2000, in color #471. This one is for my friend Katy, who asked me to make it for a friend of hers with a new baby. I bought a ball of the same yarn for myself, in color #494, a paler green. Each ball will make 2 hats. I will definitely make at least one more of these. I also bought some yarn to make the Pea Pod Baby Set. Cute cute cute. Those baby knits are so quick and satisfying.

I had a great time this weekend hanging out with my friend Katy, who is a new knitter. We visited a lovely yarn store, Marin Fiber Arts, where we bought the above-mentioned yarn, and another yarn store, where Katy bought some super bulky yarn to make a feather and fan baby blanket.

Here's a lovely buckeye tree engulfing a big ol' oak at a state park that we visited over the weekend. So much beauty!