Go Pack Go!!!

THE PACKER GAME ROCKED!!!!!

Although I was sweating there at the end, what a finish! WOO HOO!!!

That's all I have time to write at the moment - will update on the socks at a later date. Just had to get that Packer stuff off my chest for now! :-)

Ready, set, go!

I am done swatching - I switched from size 6 needles to size 7 and my gauge went from 7 stitches per inch to 6 stitches per inch, so I am going to make the 6 Stitches Per Inch socks from Getting Started Knitting Socks by Ann Budd. Even though the recommended yarn weight for this pattern is sportweight or DK weight, I'll be using my Knit Picks Swish Superwash worsted weight. I don't have time during the day today to start but I don't care how tired I am, I am going to cast on as soon as the girls go to bed tonight. I'll be up late watching the Packers play (and hopefully BEAT*) the Broncos. I doubt I'll knit the whole game but I will for awhile. Wish me luck!

Question: Since I played around with the yarn quite a bit, swatched twice, etc., can I still use it to knit my socks or did I totally stretch it out? I guess I only bought 2 balls so I have to use it, will hope for the best!

NEXT PROJECT: I am already itching to get the supplies to start something else. I probably won't start anything until my socks are well underway, but I'm going to start researching what to make next in the meantime. Some things I am interested in are a felted bag, felted iPod or cell phone holder, toddler sweater or poncho ..... any other ideas??? I know that is totally up to me, but just throw some suggestions out there - novice patterns please! But they don't have to be all garter stitch or anything like that. I think I can purl okay and I like to purl. I'd also love to make something using my new circs. But I don't have to either. So just something not too hard, but it doesn't have to be a garter stitch scarf. LOL In fact, NO SCARVES! I still haven't finished Lindsey's. :-)


*It's sad but I still hold a major grudge against the Broncos for beating my Packers in Super Bowl XXXII - GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!! My 4 most hated teams, in this order, are the Vikings, the Bears, the Patriots, and the Broncos.

FRUSTRATED

I knew I'd be the first person ever not to be able to knit socks. I can't even do the gauge swatch. I am trying to learn Magic Loop and all I get is a tangled mess of yarn. I tried for over an hour last night to get it and I couldn't. I watched the how-to video on knittinghelp.com this morning and tried again and I still can't quite do it. I will continue to practice this afternoon while watching football but if after an hour I still can't do it, I'm going to give up and work on the crocheted slippers I started for myself before I decided to learn to knit, then abandoned when my knitting obsession took over. :-)

If I just can't get Magic Loop, should I try dpns? I do have a local knitting group where I can get some help, but it's almost just too embarrassing. :-) My yarn is turning into a mess and I don't even know if it's usable after I knitted and pulled it out a zillion times.

Sigh.

UPDATE: I got it! Whew, I figured it out. My only issue is I have a hard time moving the stitches from the cable back onto the needle. I think I knit pretty tight, even though I tried real hard not to! I was planning to make the 5 stitches per inch sock, and my gauge was 7 stitches per inch, using a size 6 needle. There is a pattern for a 7 stitches per inch sock in the book. It calls for fingering or sportweight yarn and I'm using worsted. So I'm thinking I could just use that pattern, even though I'm using a different weight yarn? Do you know what I'm saying? I am trying one more gauge swatch though using size 7 needles. After that I'm just going to go for it and hope they fit. :-)

Knitting time (or lack thereof)

I feel like I picked a bad time in my life to learn to knit. I just don't have the time, or maybe more accurately the energy, to knit all that much. I have the desire though! But between homeschooling my son, chasing around 2 active little girls, and taking care of home and husband, in my free time I am just pooped! The best time for me to knit is after the young ones are in bed, but by then I am usually just too tired. I think about picking up my knitting, then I choose instead to read or veg in front of the TV for awhile.

I know there will be a time when I can knit more, so for now I'm just going to be content with whatever time I do have to do so. As I've said before, I am certainly enjoying reading about knitting and listening to knitting podcasts - THAT I can do much more than actually knitting! So for now I am learning a lot and dreaming about future knitting projects, and knitting when I can.

We're leaving for a week-long family vacation tomorrow. My Knit Picks order didn't come yet, and even if it comes tomorrow before we leave, I'm not going to bring it along. I don't think this trip will be a good time to start learning to knit socks. Also I don't know that I'll have a lot of knitting time on the trip. I'll just bring Lindsey's scarf and hopefully finish that while we're gone, and start on my socks when we get back.

Our trip involves a 16 hour drive so I do have my iPod loaded up with knitting podcasts for the trip! Yea!

I am also reading Drunk, Divorced & Covered in Cat Hair by Laurie Perry (a/k/a Crazy Aunt Purl) and although I've never been in her situation I am enjoying the book. I hope to finish that before we go.

Good night!

I did it!

I placed an order, that is. I hope hope hope I didn't screw that up. I decided to order everything I needed from Knit Picks since I have heard great things about their circular needles. Here's my plan:

I'm going to knit the "5 Stitches Per Inch" socks from Ann Budd's Getting Started Knitting Socks. I am going to give the Magic Loop method a try. So I bought a size 6 and 7 Options Harmony Wood Interchangeable Needle Tips with a 40 inch cable. For yarn I bought Swish Superwash worsted weight yarn, color Delft Heather. I also bought stitch markers and a stitch holder and a case for my cables.

ACK! I hope that is what I need and I didn't forget something or goof something up! I hope I get the right gauge with one of the needles sizes I bought. The pattern says anywhere from size 4-8 so I got sizes in between. I guess if I don't get gauge I can order some more needle tips. I'll use the ones I bought now for a project somewhere down the road. I'll just have to wait longer to start my socks. I don't want to wait any more, but I'm not going to stress about that now! I can always make some more dishcloths while I wait. (sigh) I am still working on Lindsey's scarf - have about 6 inches maybe to do yet. I'm not sure how long I'm going to make it. I haven't had much actual knitting time lately and don't forsee a lot in the near future either but I do what I can (and listen to my knitting podcasts, and surf around Ravelry in the meantime!)

I received so much good advice here on my blog and other places. THANK YOU to everyone who gave me input and advice! Even if I didn't do what you suggested, please know I appreciate your input and will probably use your advice at some point. Thanks!

Fearless knitting and sock woes!

"One of the greatest discoveries a man makes, one of his great surprises, is to find he can do what he was afraid he couldn't do."

Henry Ford

This quote was in Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's At Knit's End, Meditations for Women who Knit Too Much. After I finish Lindsey's scarf I want to get started on some "real projects". But I'm afraid I'll be the first knitter who cannot knit a sweater or socks! I've been crocheting for over 10 years and I consider myself fairly good at it, but I've never made anything that had to be fitted in any way. I've always made afghans, dishcloths, coasters, doilies and things like that. I've never had to worry about gauge. Everything always turned out an appropriate size (except maybe the afghan I made my youngest sister that turned out really BIG! but she likes it anyway).

I really can't afford to buy a sweater's worth of yarn and then have it not fit in the end! But I'd love to make myself one someday. I probably need to just take it one step at a time and not fear it! Stephanie says she is surprised to hear of knitters like me, who are afraid to take on a big project or make a mistake. She says "Be afraid of skydiving. Be afraid of wild boar. Be fearless with knitting."

I will try to take her advice! As she also says: "...no one has ever been killed or maimed by being adventurous with knitting, no matter how pointy the needles."

So I am ready to make my first pair of socks - BUT - I need help!!! Bombard me with your suggestions. I don't know what yarn to buy, I don't know what needles to get, I don't know if I should use dpns or two circulars or magic loop. At first I thought I'd try magic loop right away and was fairly set on that, then I thought maybe I should use dpns for my first socks and my first project in the round, and then I thought, I'm not sure! I'm confused! I can't wait to get started but I don't know what to do. I was thinking I would go to my LYS and ask for some help, but with my 2 little ones I don't know when I will be able to get there, so my best bet might be to order what I need online. But what to get? HELP!!!!!!!!!

I'M IN!!!!!!!!

In Ravelry, of course! Woo hoo!

I got my invite yesterday, exactly 2 months after I signed up. I had NO idea what it was when I first put my name on the waiting list. When I joined my local knitting group someone told me to put my name down, so I dutifully did even though I hadn't a clue what I was signing up for. I'm glad I did it right away!

Being a new knitter, I don't have much to offer the community but I do have lots to gain! I already spent some time last night (when I should have been in bed!) looking through the site, adding some friends, and joining some groups. I could spent 24/7 there I'm sure! But I have 3 kids, a husband, and a dog - no can do! :-) I'm going away for the weekend too so no Ravelry fun for the next few days either.

If you're on Ravelry, let me know! My name there is WiscKnitter. I'm not super crazy about the name but I was under pressure to choose one! All along these past 2 months I had planned to be N-E-W-Knitter just like my blog title. But I found out at the initial login that you can only have numbers and letters in your name. So I tried NEWKnitter, but it was already taken. I should have thought ahead what I would do if my name was used. I could have taken some time to think of something better but I HAD MY INVITE AND I WANTED TO SIGN ON, AND DO IT NOW!!!!!!! :-) I've lived in Wisconsin all my life and will probably never move out of state, so WiscKnitter I am.

Happy day! Happy knitting!

P.S. Did I tell you my husband got me BOTH sock books I asked for for my birthday? Yes he did! I still haven't started any socks though because I need the yarn and needles and I haven't had time to get anything. I hope to finish Lindsey's scarf this weekend or early next week and have the supplies to start my first pair of socks shortly after that.