Hello old friend

Now that I've finished the Hemlock I'm picking back up Wild Stripes for a bit. I put in an order for the yarn and DPNs to make this too cute cat bed. I'm not too into making things for my pets, especially the cats but I'm lovin' this bed. I honestly don't even know if they'll use it but I figure worse case scenario I throw a blanket in it and the pup can use it. So when the yarn comes in the Stripes go back in the corner.

Well in case anyone cares here's a bit of info on my Hemlock. I managed to get to row 81 of the Fan and Feather chart before I started to bind off. I was cutting it close too, I only had around 12 yards of yarn left. I didn't use the third skein at all, so I guess I wasn't cutting it too close but I had decided that I really didn't want to use it unless I had to. It's about 55 inches from point to point although it could prob be bigger we didn't block it very aggressively. Yes that was a we, I suckered the ole hubster into helping me pin the beast out.

If a Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

...then 8 pictures must be worth 8,000 words?

Hello...anyone out there....

So Newbs (as I've now named her) told me today that I recently, or not so recently (she left out the "when" part) had a visitor to my blog. Imagine that, someone actually reading my blog except me and occasionally Newbs. So I've decided that I'm going to make a little sign just to say hello, a bit of a shout out if you will. Ya know like on TV how someone is supposed to scratch their nose or tug on their ear to say hello to someone. Well I've decided that whenever I bold the word jelly bean I'm saying hello to.......drum roll please, Jhonda. Yep that's right Jhonda, I've heard through the grapevine, or Newbs, that you've been here. Well I think here, maybe to my other blog (oh damn guess I'll have to go over there next, in case you haven't been here). I was so excited too. Now to figure out how the hell I'm going to work jelly beans into a post on a knitting blog....

So back to knitting...somebody in hell better stock up on the bread, milk, eggs, and TP, cause it's freezin' over. I'm finished with the Hemlock.



I haven't blocked it yet, that's why it looks a bit like old lettuce. But I have to clean off the guest bed first. That's where all the blocking happens. Yeah no magic happening in there, well at least I don't think so, we've only had one "couple" stay over, usually our visitors are solo. Anyway as soon as I get it blocked I'll post the grand finale photos.

Oh one last thing, so I was eating the best jelly beans today. They were sooooo good.....

When the cat is away....

Yep that's right folks it's going to be one exciting night around here what with the husband gone and all. Knitting, netflix, and carbs what more can one gal ask for? This is pretty much what my life has looked like all this week except for the pasta, that one was a stretch it's pretty much been PB&Js every other night. Boy did I go all out tonight. The hemlock has been moving along quite well. I'm on my second skein and have found the hope that I was once lacking. I figure if I can get through one skein in 6 days then I should be able to get through another by the 24th. I haven't decided how far I'm going to go I guess I just figure I'll know when to stop when I get there. So what's on the ole movie list tonight you ask. Well I just finished up Starter for Ten, does anyone else find them self practicing their British accent after a British film (or a film set in England rather, not so sure it is actually a British film), or did I just tell how much of an dork I really am? It was a pretty good cheesy kinda movie. But it did include music by The Cure, so that's a plus. Up next will be Grace is Gone, don't know anything about it except John Cusack is in it. So I figure after this movie, and whatever Olympic events are on tonight I should be well beyond the Rainey Sister's chart. Finger crossed....

Go Team USA

Ok so I will admit there have been many times during these past 4-5 days that I was ready to give up on this damn blanket. And you know the sad thing is, it isn't too hard. I added in a yarn over and couldn't find the f-ing thing to save my life. No joke I came in the house Sunday morning and had prepared not to finish, hell not to even pick the thing up again. Then I received the sweetest push on ravelry. I was left a comment asking where my photos were. Well hell how embarrassing would it be to admit failure 3 days in. So here is that picture...

I think I was somewhere in the low 20's when this picture was taken, now I'm up to the high 30's.

So how about that Michael Phelps? And no I'm not talking about his rockin' bod, although we can talk about that if you would like. And sadly I have to admit I found myself routing for China's male gymnast team last night too. They were so damn good though, I guess if USA had been closer I would've been cheering them on but....They did well also though, all rookies and still bronze. Swimming and Gymnastics are the two events that I have always gotten into, but with this ravelmpics thing going on I have been watching a lot more. The other day I watched soccer and even a bit of handball. Ok ok so if I have any hope of finishing I better get back to cranking it out.

A Bit Old School....

Well I guess the Ravelmpics has me pumped up about blogging too b/c I'm back. What is this like two days in a row, WOW. Well I don't have anything current to blog about, I only finished a few rows of the Wild Stripes since the picture was taken, only four more rows until I'm officially a third of the way through the knitting part YEAH. So anyway I'm bringing back past projects, that's right baby I'm going old school. Actually it's not that old at all. It, Sally the Eco Fairy, was a birthday present for my youngest niece's first birthday this past May. There she is in all her glory. I was really happy with how she turned out, even without the curls. Oh the curls....I saw another fairy on Rav that was just the cutest thing I've ever seen and all because she had this head full of curls. Below is my half finished version.Yes I did attempt the curls and yes the curls defeated me. I was cranking them out, oh wait let me back up a bit. Did I mention that I started this thing a week before her birthday. Yes you heard me right. With that in mind I was a bit uncertain if the curls would get finished so I knit the straight hair from the pattern "just in case". Then I started cranking out the curls, a bit in between parts of the doll and tons after the doll was finished. I bet there's at least 20 curls on just that one side. Well I was actually starting to believe I would get this thing done, curls and all. Then of course I ran out of yarn and that skein that I just knew I had was gone. I looked everywhere it was nowhere to be found, so off to Michaels the hubster and I went. What happened next was a sign, they didn't have anymore of the Bernat Soy. Oh well, I have to say it was a bit of a relief, a weight was definitely lifted off my shoulders. I walked out of Michaels knowing full well that I wouldn't have to crank out curls the next whole day. I would simply sew on the straight hair and call it finished.
See all those ends, I hadn't quite figured out what I was going to do with them, nor how I was going to sew each of the curls on yet but lucky I didn't have to worry about that. Not to mention when I found out the following weekend that Sally had taken a swim in a toilet I didn't feel so bad about not finishing the curls. Yeah so I saved all those curls and low and behold within a few days I found that missing skein. He was hiding in my knitting bag, imagine that in a knitting bag who would've thought. Anyway so sometime I'll break out those curls and make my own Curly Sally, and no swimming lessons for my Curly Sal.

Training in progress....

So I've decided that the Wild Stripes blanket is going to act as my training for the Ravelympics. It's definitely helping me with me speed since it's just stockinette stitch and lord knows I'm going to need speed in 5 more days. Anyway I'm just about finished with one of the 3 repeats (just 9 more rows) and it's not as boring as I thought it was going to be. I long to finish just one more color to see what it is going to look like with the next color. And the purl rows aren't too bad because each time I start one I think after this row is a knit row. I'm not sure I'm diggin the colors but as I said on Ravelry it looked much better once I pinned it out to take the pictures and I'm sure it will look tons better once it's finished and the embroidery is on. Actually I can't wait till I finish it just so I can see the embroidery on it, although wait I will I'm going to stop working on it prob tomorrow until after the Ravelympics are over. I don't want to develop carpel tunnel before I even start my Hemlock...