I had to drive kids to the dentist today, so I made really good progress on the shawlette! I am on the third iteration of part 3. I now have only 1 repeat of the 12 stitch repeatable section in the center. It is almost done. The only problem is that my kindle is no longer downloading that blog. So I am going to have to go online and check the blog and print out the instructions beyond part 3. I hate that. I really love reading these knitting blogs on my kindle. I have no reason why they suddenly stop downloading.
I have made another "rose petal" in Irish lace crochet. I am now working on a rose. I will post some photos soon.
Trying to knit more each day. I didn't walk today though =( BAD GIRL.
C. A. Losi
Monday, June 20, 2011
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Hello?
June 16, 2011
I am still SLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWLY working on 3 projects. I have not picked up the square from James's afghan in a week. I am afraid I will not remember how to follow that pattern =(.
I have not picked up the puppets in even longer. I have actually moved them to my office. Out of sight, out of mind.
I am still knitting on the shawlette. I keep separating the directions from the bag with the project which makes it hard to work on it in the car. Today, Luke has a massage. That means about 1 hour of straight knitting. I should make some progress. The shawl begins at the bottom and gets smaller and smaller with each row. It is actually knitting fairly quickly now.
I am still fooling around with the Irish lace book. There is an "opera bag" project in it that is fabulous. When I finish up the shawlette, I will start on that. I will make a ton of small flowers and leaves, then basically connect them together with chains. I will try to scan the photo in the book somehow and post it. It is not so much a "pattern" as an idea. You could make what ever flowers, motifs you want, then just connect them together, and put in a silk or some other fabric liner.
My god children (who we have been fostering this year) are going home in 1 week. Also, my youngest son is leaving the next day to dance in Pittsburgh for 5 weeks. Then one week later, number 4 child (also a son) is leaving for 3 weeks in France. The house will be quite empty. I hope to get into a really nice knitting, writing, walking, Aion schedule =) Maybe I will finish up all my projects and get to start some socks!
I'm excited.
C. A. Losi
I am still SLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWLY working on 3 projects. I have not picked up the square from James's afghan in a week. I am afraid I will not remember how to follow that pattern =(.
I have not picked up the puppets in even longer. I have actually moved them to my office. Out of sight, out of mind.
I am still knitting on the shawlette. I keep separating the directions from the bag with the project which makes it hard to work on it in the car. Today, Luke has a massage. That means about 1 hour of straight knitting. I should make some progress. The shawl begins at the bottom and gets smaller and smaller with each row. It is actually knitting fairly quickly now.
I am still fooling around with the Irish lace book. There is an "opera bag" project in it that is fabulous. When I finish up the shawlette, I will start on that. I will make a ton of small flowers and leaves, then basically connect them together with chains. I will try to scan the photo in the book somehow and post it. It is not so much a "pattern" as an idea. You could make what ever flowers, motifs you want, then just connect them together, and put in a silk or some other fabric liner.
My god children (who we have been fostering this year) are going home in 1 week. Also, my youngest son is leaving the next day to dance in Pittsburgh for 5 weeks. Then one week later, number 4 child (also a son) is leaving for 3 weeks in France. The house will be quite empty. I hope to get into a really nice knitting, writing, walking, Aion schedule =) Maybe I will finish up all my projects and get to start some socks!
I'm excited.
C. A. Losi
Friday, June 10, 2011
mea culpa 6.10.11
1. I got my daughter's copy of the new Interweave Crochet magazine this week. I have dropped EVERYTHING and started trying to crochet Irish lace. Not kidding. Totally obsessed with it. So far I have successfully crocheted a triangle and 2 rose leaves. I downloaded this book for about $3 on my kindle (Kindle, Wi-Fi, Graphite, 6" Display with New E Ink Pearl Technology - includes Special Offers & Sponsored Screensavers
) and have been playing with the motifs. Totally cool.
2. I keep thinking I will finish my puppets, but have been playing way too much Aion Aion: Assault on Balaurea
. I really need to get a schedule set where I dedicate at least 1 hour in the morning to knitting/crocheting, and another in the evening. I am determined to finish these.
3. I haven't made much progress on the latest square of James's afghan either! I am at the last weird place in the center square, and need to be able to just sit for about 30 min. with no interruptions to do that row. Then I will start on the mitered outer section.
4. I have made some progress on the Summer Mystery Shawlette that I am knitting as part of the KAL (knit a long) with the WendyKnits blog. I was so proud last post because I was sure that I had discovered a flaw in the pattern. I went back and actually READ THE DIRECTIONS, not just the chart, and noticed that where I thought she was 1 stitch short, she had directed that the section marker be slipped off, and 1 stitched stolen from the next section... Wow, I feel foolish. I am still proud that I can read charts. Perhaps someday I will be proud of my ability to read directions.
5. There is a giant pile of laundry waiting to be folded.
Both my cats are sleeping upstairs.
Got to love cats.
C. A. Losi
) and have been playing with the motifs. Totally cool.2. I keep thinking I will finish my puppets, but have been playing way too much Aion Aion: Assault on Balaurea
. I really need to get a schedule set where I dedicate at least 1 hour in the morning to knitting/crocheting, and another in the evening. I am determined to finish these.3. I haven't made much progress on the latest square of James's afghan either! I am at the last weird place in the center square, and need to be able to just sit for about 30 min. with no interruptions to do that row. Then I will start on the mitered outer section.
4. I have made some progress on the Summer Mystery Shawlette that I am knitting as part of the KAL (knit a long) with the WendyKnits blog. I was so proud last post because I was sure that I had discovered a flaw in the pattern. I went back and actually READ THE DIRECTIONS, not just the chart, and noticed that where I thought she was 1 stitch short, she had directed that the section marker be slipped off, and 1 stitched stolen from the next section... Wow, I feel foolish. I am still proud that I can read charts. Perhaps someday I will be proud of my ability to read directions.
5. There is a giant pile of laundry waiting to be folded.
Both my cats are sleeping upstairs.
Got to love cats.
C. A. Losi
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Summer Mystery Shawlette - Part 2 5.31.11
It is the Tuesday after Memorial Day. The weekend was full of knitting, laundry, and Aion. Ok, 2 out of 3 were fun.
I cranked like crazy on my Knit a long Summer Mystery Shawlette Part 2 from WendyKnits and caught up! Maybe I'm not such a slow knitter after all...
This is completed Part 1:
And here completed through Part 2:
Here is a close up of the pattern so far:
I'm not sure how much of it you can see. But I felt it was worth a try.
What have I learned so far:
This lace pattern is really easy. It involves
YO (yarn overs) an increase that leaves a hole
K2Tog (knit 2 together) which is a right leaning decrease
SSK (slip as to knit 2 times, pass back to the left needle, then insert the right needle into the back and knit) A left leaning decrease
Sl1, K2tog, PSSO (Slip one as to purl, knit 2 tog, pass the slipped stitch over the knit2tog ) this is a way to knit 3 stitches together having no "leaning, " but a centered stitch.
These are all easy stitches, yet I am able to forget which one I'm doing and do the wrong one (with the leaning stitches), YO the wrong way! or completely forget to YO, or even forget to Pass over the slipped stitch.
I hope to never look too closely at the part 1 of this shawlette. I did better at part 2. I am getting better at fixing my mistakes, though. My most common problem is forgetting to YO or YO the wrong direction. If I forgot, I just pick up the yard from below and put it on the needle as I'm purling back (all the even rows are purled).
I have found what I'm sure is an error in the pattern for Part 2. I checked on Wendy's group for this shawl on Ravelry, but didn't see anyone else commenting on it. In Row 1, the first section is the decrease section. It ends with 10 stitches on the needle. This section is repeated after the middle stitch of the shawl. But, Row 2 needs 11 stitches for the first decrease section. I wasn't sure what to do. The problem is that the last "stitch" in the section is a Sl1,K2tog,Psso which needs 3 stitches, but there were only 2 stitches left in that section. This is also the last "stitch" in the 12 stitch repeating part of the pattern, so I figured that I needed somehow to do this, and not just a K2Tog, which is possible with 2 stitches.
Is this making sense? I wish I had some way to show the knitting symbols, as I think it would make more sense.
Anyway, I decided to just pick up a stitch and muscle on. I am really proud of my self that I found the error. I would be a bit more secure if Wendy would comment on the error in her blog, validating my find. She should be posting the next part of the shawlette soon, if not today. I generally read the blog on my Kindle. And, I have noticed that the blog shows up on the website earlier than on the Kindle. So I shall check her website blog, and report back.
I worked only a tiny bit on James's afghan, and not at all on my puppets, as I wanted to catch up on the shawlette. Also, as I wrote earlier, I played tons of Aion, and did tons of laundry (no photos or links for that, just lots of clean clothes at our house.)
C. A. Losi
I cranked like crazy on my Knit a long Summer Mystery Shawlette Part 2 from WendyKnits and caught up! Maybe I'm not such a slow knitter after all...
This is completed Part 1:
And here completed through Part 2:
Here is a close up of the pattern so far:
I'm not sure how much of it you can see. But I felt it was worth a try.
What have I learned so far:
This lace pattern is really easy. It involves
YO (yarn overs) an increase that leaves a hole
K2Tog (knit 2 together) which is a right leaning decrease
SSK (slip as to knit 2 times, pass back to the left needle, then insert the right needle into the back and knit) A left leaning decrease
Sl1, K2tog, PSSO (Slip one as to purl, knit 2 tog, pass the slipped stitch over the knit2tog ) this is a way to knit 3 stitches together having no "leaning, " but a centered stitch.
These are all easy stitches, yet I am able to forget which one I'm doing and do the wrong one (with the leaning stitches), YO the wrong way! or completely forget to YO, or even forget to Pass over the slipped stitch.
I hope to never look too closely at the part 1 of this shawlette. I did better at part 2. I am getting better at fixing my mistakes, though. My most common problem is forgetting to YO or YO the wrong direction. If I forgot, I just pick up the yard from below and put it on the needle as I'm purling back (all the even rows are purled).
I have found what I'm sure is an error in the pattern for Part 2. I checked on Wendy's group for this shawl on Ravelry, but didn't see anyone else commenting on it. In Row 1, the first section is the decrease section. It ends with 10 stitches on the needle. This section is repeated after the middle stitch of the shawl. But, Row 2 needs 11 stitches for the first decrease section. I wasn't sure what to do. The problem is that the last "stitch" in the section is a Sl1,K2tog,Psso which needs 3 stitches, but there were only 2 stitches left in that section. This is also the last "stitch" in the 12 stitch repeating part of the pattern, so I figured that I needed somehow to do this, and not just a K2Tog, which is possible with 2 stitches.
Is this making sense? I wish I had some way to show the knitting symbols, as I think it would make more sense.
Anyway, I decided to just pick up a stitch and muscle on. I am really proud of my self that I found the error. I would be a bit more secure if Wendy would comment on the error in her blog, validating my find. She should be posting the next part of the shawlette soon, if not today. I generally read the blog on my Kindle. And, I have noticed that the blog shows up on the website earlier than on the Kindle. So I shall check her website blog, and report back.
I worked only a tiny bit on James's afghan, and not at all on my puppets, as I wanted to catch up on the shawlette. Also, as I wrote earlier, I played tons of Aion, and did tons of laundry (no photos or links for that, just lots of clean clothes at our house.)
C. A. Losi
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Progress 5.25.11
Although I don't have a new photo to post, I am almost (about 5 rows to go) finished with the center section of the latest square for James's afghan . I think (knock on wood) that this is my very first error free square. It is by far the hardest I have attempted. For me, knitting is like math. I can only learn by doing. Often, as I'm reading directions, I am totally confused. But as I follow them, step by step, stitch by stitch, they become clearer.
I did follow my "schedule" for the last 2 days. I am trying to knit each morning for 1 episode of Buffy.
I worked on my puppets
I took the 3 finished main bodies. Stuffed the heads:
then cinched in the necks, and wove in all the threads. :
Wow, that took the whole episode. Yesterday, I worked on the first arm. I haven't crocheted in a while, and I kept losing a stitch as I spiraled around. Also, my yarn is a bit larger than the recommended yarn, so I think the arm is just too big. The end part seems really big.
It is supposed to look a bit like a hand, and for my puppet, the hand is as big as the arm! I think I am going to take the hand part out, and alter the pattern a bit to make it smaller.That took a whole episode. At this rate, I will finish Buffy before I finish these puppets.
Just to make my finishing each project even slower, I have started a 3rd project. I am totally enjoying reading various knitting blogs. On Wendy Knits, Wendy has started a "mystery shawl." I don't really wear shawls. I am more the jeans and t-shirts, sweatshirts, sweater, type. But, it looked like fun. So, I have decided to knit a long. She is releasing the pattern bit by bit.
We are supposed to use sock yarn and, of course, I couldn't find sock yarn in a color I liked at my local Jo Ann's. I don't have a close LYS (Local Yarn Shop). So I chose some yarn that is almost sock yarn. I'm using Patons Silk Bamboo in Orchid. Wow, it is soft and lovely to the touch. I have finished the set up (casting on 241 stitches, and knitting 2 rows), and 1 row of the pattern.
I will have to knit like crazy to catch up because I started a week late. I will try to not be worried about that, though. There is also a group for this shawl on Ravelry.com Ravelry:Forums.
Enough said. Back to Buffy, and row 2.
C. A. Losi
I did follow my "schedule" for the last 2 days. I am trying to knit each morning for 1 episode of Buffy.
I worked on my puppets
Just to make my finishing each project even slower, I have started a 3rd project. I am totally enjoying reading various knitting blogs. On Wendy Knits, Wendy has started a "mystery shawl." I don't really wear shawls. I am more the jeans and t-shirts, sweatshirts, sweater, type. But, it looked like fun. So, I have decided to knit a long. She is releasing the pattern bit by bit.
We are supposed to use sock yarn and, of course, I couldn't find sock yarn in a color I liked at my local Jo Ann's. I don't have a close LYS (Local Yarn Shop). So I chose some yarn that is almost sock yarn. I'm using Patons Silk Bamboo in Orchid. Wow, it is soft and lovely to the touch. I have finished the set up (casting on 241 stitches, and knitting 2 rows), and 1 row of the pattern.
Enough said. Back to Buffy, and row 2.
C. A. Losi
Monday, May 23, 2011
Daily Schedule 5.23.11
I have resisted putting a schedule on this blog because
1. this is a knitting blog, and therefore my schedule should be about knitting
2. I will then be embarrassed at how little of my schedule I accomplish
But, my family will be changing hugely in about 1 month when school gets out. Our 3 foster children will be going home to live with their dad. Luke will head off to dance in Pittsburgh with the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School. James will be all over, dancing in Utah then traveling through France with Olivier, his best friend from kindergarten who has moved to France. We will go from a family of 10 with 9 living at home, to a family of 7 with 4 at home. Weird Weird Weird! Summer has not always meant a slower pace for me, especially when the kids were all home and we were doing swim team and tennis lessons. But lately, my pace almost grinds to a halt.
(I am throwing in a photo here because I have decided that I like blogs with photos, and my first poppy has bloomed.)
So, I was thinking of the perfect daily schedule for my summer:
1 hour of knitting
1/2 ish hour of walking (expanded on park/trail days)
1 hour of writing
30 min of cleaning/housework except for laundry which can be weaved in
30 min of dinner set up/cooking (I like to get this done in the morning)
Rest of the day spent playing on-line games and knitting
Blogging
Wow, what decadence. I had thought to start my day with walking, but sometimes I wake up quite early, and I don't always want to walk that early, especially if I plan to walk one of our many city park trails. We shall see if I stick to this schedule at all.
Right now my schedule is more:
6am wake kids (repeat this for the next 45 minutes with various kids who just won't get up)
change the laundry
make coffee and breakfast for James (who is trying to eat protein so needs a cooked breakfast)
often drive kids to school who have missed their bus
Grocery shop (this happens EVERY day with this giant family of ours)
at about 8:30- 9:00 return home and clean the kitchen, make dinner, change the laundry/fold/deliver laundry
9 - 12 knitting/housework/computer/finances/etc.
12 - 1:30pm Aion http://na.aiononline.com/
1:45 - 8 Drive kids around (I am not kidding) knit while waiting for kids to be done with what ever I just drove them to.
8:30 - midnight Aion!
With the midnight Aion (which is an on-line multi-player game http://na.aiononline.com/) I am always sooooo tired at 6 am, but I need the points I am getting from the group instance we are doing. And we can only get enough people up to do that instance at about 10 pm every night. It's crazy. You can only understand these things if you are a gamer.
So, Today I hope my schedule can be:
1 hour (or one episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer Netflix) of Knitting
grocery shopping
dinner set up/cooking
Aion
Driving kids (knitting interspersed)
more Aion
You will notice that there is no walking, or writing. Well maybe I will sneak in some writing. I already snuck in 30 min of blogging =)
C. A. Losi
1. this is a knitting blog, and therefore my schedule should be about knitting
2. I will then be embarrassed at how little of my schedule I accomplish
But, my family will be changing hugely in about 1 month when school gets out. Our 3 foster children will be going home to live with their dad. Luke will head off to dance in Pittsburgh with the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School. James will be all over, dancing in Utah then traveling through France with Olivier, his best friend from kindergarten who has moved to France. We will go from a family of 10 with 9 living at home, to a family of 7 with 4 at home. Weird Weird Weird! Summer has not always meant a slower pace for me, especially when the kids were all home and we were doing swim team and tennis lessons. But lately, my pace almost grinds to a halt.
So, I was thinking of the perfect daily schedule for my summer:
1 hour of knitting
1/2 ish hour of walking (expanded on park/trail days)
1 hour of writing
30 min of cleaning/housework except for laundry which can be weaved in
30 min of dinner set up/cooking (I like to get this done in the morning)
Rest of the day spent playing on-line games and knitting
Blogging
Wow, what decadence. I had thought to start my day with walking, but sometimes I wake up quite early, and I don't always want to walk that early, especially if I plan to walk one of our many city park trails. We shall see if I stick to this schedule at all.
Right now my schedule is more:
6am wake kids (repeat this for the next 45 minutes with various kids who just won't get up)
change the laundry
make coffee and breakfast for James (who is trying to eat protein so needs a cooked breakfast)
often drive kids to school who have missed their bus
Grocery shop (this happens EVERY day with this giant family of ours)
at about 8:30- 9:00 return home and clean the kitchen, make dinner, change the laundry/fold/deliver laundry
9 - 12 knitting/housework/computer/finances/etc.
12 - 1:30pm Aion http://na.aiononline.com/
1:45 - 8 Drive kids around (I am not kidding) knit while waiting for kids to be done with what ever I just drove them to.
8:30 - midnight Aion!
With the midnight Aion (which is an on-line multi-player game http://na.aiononline.com/) I am always sooooo tired at 6 am, but I need the points I am getting from the group instance we are doing. And we can only get enough people up to do that instance at about 10 pm every night. It's crazy. You can only understand these things if you are a gamer.
So, Today I hope my schedule can be:
1 hour (or one episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer Netflix) of Knitting
grocery shopping
dinner set up/cooking
Aion
Driving kids (knitting interspersed)
more Aion
You will notice that there is no walking, or writing. Well maybe I will sneak in some writing. I already snuck in 30 min of blogging =)
C. A. Losi
Thursday, May 19, 2011
New Great-Nephew 5.19.11
Just a quick post to say that my niece, Katie, has announced that she is pregnant with her 2nd son! I am so excited. I will admit here that I started a really cool baby blanket for her first son (who is now 2) and never finished it... But I vow to make booties at least for this new one.
Honest. And maybe I will find that 3/4 finished baby blanket and actually 100% finish it =)
C. A. Losi
Honest. And maybe I will find that 3/4 finished baby blanket and actually 100% finish it =)
C. A. Losi
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