Too full

I am too full to knit. I have decided this is my “the dog ate my homework” excuse for why I haven’t got a lot of knitting done this past week. Life has been busy with my parents in town, a party I hosted, long phone calls received, etc. I have had too much “special” food this week. Dinners out, party buffets, pre-Thanksgiving dinner (for my parents to enjoy with their kids since we won’t be together for the real day)…it is just too much. I get home and yes, there is knitting to do and yes, there is plenty of knitting-friendly television to watch and even yes, I want to knit. But I haven’t. No energy I guess.

There is no end in sight either. This weekend is going to be full of special meals and family gatherings. Understand I am not complaining about it…I love spending time with my family and I love food. So this weekend is going to be great. I just need to make it to the gym more then I have been able to in the last couple of weeks and then I think I am good.

As far as knitting is concerned, last night I decided enough is enough and after a special dinner out with my dad and his girls (my two sisters and I) I finally finished the right front of Paula and spent some time with Butterfly. It felt great. So great in fact that I think I need some knitting goals to keep me on track. I am too flighty. Maybe I need to set due dates or something. I need to do something because I have projects on the needles, a hat and scarf I want to make for me for late fall, yarn I want to buy for a new sweater, AND a new nephew coming in November who needs knitted goods (my third time as an Auntie-yea!)

First things first, I need to complete my projects on the needles. This weekend I am going to block the pieces of Paula that are done and work on the front of Butterfly. My plan is to finish both of these projects by October 16. There, a due date. Let’s see if that works.

P.S. To a particular former member of the popular yet critically unrecognized singing duo “The Two-ettes”, I can’t wait to see you this weekend. Let’s get our song on. Although it won’t be as much fun without k-dub here getting annoyed at us, I am sure we can still enjoy ourselves.

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The following 4 comments were originally left at blogspirit:

Did you eat any special nut-encrusted food items? These can be especially hazardous to knitters.

Posted by: Posted by: Crazy Matt | 09/29/2005

Queenie! LOVE the Blog.. love the hats.. and love your cute sweater that you wouldn’t look at for weeks. I understand the whole “do I reseam” issue.. what have you decided to do? It’s getting cooler.. so you need to be able to wear it.. um.. knitting during gilgirls this week? After ‘tute?

Posted by: Posted by: Red | 09/30/2005

How cool are you? my goal is to be one of your “p.s.” comments on one of these blogs. SO proud of you! You’re my hero!

Posted by: Posted by: Chief | 10/01/2005

I love your blog….so interesting and fun…it makes me smile. AND I agree totally about the opera gloves…a little too impractical for such beautiful yarn…a scarf would be better! Checking out knitting stores in Hong Kong. I am shocked…there are more than one!

Posted by: Posted by: Diane | 10/08/2005

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Basic Cable Hat

I wish there were more hours in the day. Or that knitting a completed garment didn’t take so long. I also wish I was a less selfish knitter and that I would knit more for others. It’s just that when you spend so many hours with a project, like anything else in life, you grow attached. I have been promising a great friend of mine a knitted gift since I began knitting. I made her a hat last November but kept forgetting it when I was going to see her and then next thing you know winter is over and I look at the hat and realize how far I have come and don’t want to give the now ugly hat to her anymore but then don’t have anything else and am spending all my free time knitting stuff for me.

Then I realized her birthday was coming. And I knew it was time to take care of a long overdue gift. And so I began the Basic Cable Hat from Stitch-N-Bitch Nation in this really great deep blue color. Here it is on the birthday girl’s head:

Isn’t it great? I love this hat and now want to make it for…well, me. Predictable aren’t I? I should make one with a pom pom too but I am not sure I am brave enough to wear a hat with a pom pom. Here is the back shot where you can see my friend’s beautiful hair too:

Happy Birthday JJ! I love you.

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Hiatus

I haven’t written in a while and I am not sure why. I think it started with watching all the suffering in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. After the hurricane struck, I felt guilty knitting. I was still doing it but I felt like I shouldn’t. I went out for ice cream and wished I wouldn’t have enjoyed it so much. Like I should deny myself the everyday luxuries of my life because others are being denied theirs. I feel less guilty now but still feel so sad for everyone who has lost so much.

I got some knitting done (although I wish it was more). Here are some updates…

Intarsia sweater: I finished all the pieces and seamed this baby up. Actually, I did this weeks ago. The night I seemed and tried it on was not a happy night. You have to understand. This project is a labor of love. It took forever to conceptualize and to get designed and started. It was expensive (although I love the yarn and don’t regret using it.) Then it took forever to actually knit the thing. I kept going because I knew how it would look. I visualized exactly how it would fit and what I would wear with it.

So I tried it on. Granted, I hadn’t yet done the neck ribbing or weaved in the seeming ends or done a final block but I was sure I could get a good idea of how it would look. With perhaps too much anticipation, I looked in the mirror and immediately felt like I was 5 and someone took away my cotton candy. It looked nothing like I pictured. Where I wanted it to be really fitted, it was loose. Where I wanted long sleek arms, they were well…not. Without further ado, I promptly took the sweater off, folded it up and did not look or talk about it for weeks.

Yesterday, I decided it was time to assess the damage. Do I need to re-seem? block? gasp…re-knit? Well, here’s the funny thing. It isn’t as bad as I remember. So it doesn’t look exactly as I pictured. So what? Really I think this is salvageable. I just don’t know how to do it. I think it is too bulky in the back. I also think it could be a little smaller all around. So do I re-seem? Try and shrink it?

Here are some pics…first, the mirror shot:

the front:

the back (picture makes my upperbody look HUGE):

I feel much better in general about this sweater but part of me wishes I could re-knit it so it will be exactly as I picture. But really, when does that ever happen?

Paula: I finished the back, left front, and am half way through the right front. Fall is beginning and I would love this one to be done by October.

Butterfly: I finished the fringe and started on the body:

Close up of the pattern (if you look hard enough you can see beads):

I love this knit, the only problem is that it is very intensive. I have to concentrate really hard so I don’t mess up that lace pattern and I haven’t been in the mood to do so. This is another one I want to get done by October so I need to step it up.

New Yarn: On a trip to LA over Labor day, my sister went to Suss Designs and got me this beautiful yarn:

Isn’t the color beautiful??!? I love my sister. No idea what I am going to make with it but it is really cool because it is two separate strands twisted together.

Basic Cable Hat: For my friend’s birthday I need to knit her something as I have been promising to for way too long. I am going to make the Basic Cable Hat from Stitch-N-Bitch Nation with this yarn (Lamb’s Pride Worsted) that I got at my LYS:

If this turns out I am SO making one for me too.

So that what I have been up to. Sometimes progress seems so slow.

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The following 2 comments were originally left at blogspirit:

Hiya!

Would you mind passing this along to fellow knitters?

KNITTING COMPETITION

A signed copy each of the novel COVER THE BUTTER–hardback edition–for five winners who knit the most original and imaginative sweater for a featherless chicken! (In a very simple T-shape.)

Info here:
http://carriekabak.blogspirit.com/

Happy knitting!

Carrie
carriekabak@yahoo.com

Posted by: Carrie | 09/19/2005

hi,

your butterfly looks very lovely! and i can’t wait to see how paula turns out as i’m considering that project myself!!

Posted by: blossom | 09/26/2005

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