N.E.W. Knitter

Another new blog!

jkunstman@new.rr.com (Eileen) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 01:39:00 +0000

The new blog replaces the other new blog I just started. LOL So if you want to go to my "OLD NEW" blog to find out why I started a "NEW NEW" blog, you can read my post at:

CoffeeBean's Corner

and then put my (final? it better be!) new blog in your Bloglines or whatever you use:

Eileen's Blog (I decided not to spend the time thinking of a catchy title, what can I say).

Hope to see you there! Please leave me a comment if you visit!

My new home!

jkunstman@new.rr.com (Eileen) — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 13:56:00 +0000

I started my new blog. Come visit me at CoffeeBean's Corner!

It's going to take me awhile to get things just the way I want them but I hope you will come and say hi. Please comment here or there and let me know if you stopped by!

Changes brewing...

jkunstman@new.rr.com (Eileen) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 18:03:00 +0000

I have 4 blogs right now - this one, one for general family news, one for what I'm reading, and one for sewing. I can't keep up with any of them. LOL I'm sorry I haven't been posting here or commenting in other blogs much lately. Life has just been busy and as usual I am so behind on everything. I am still reading your blogs though!

Anyway....

In September I will start homeschooling Lindsey (Kindergarten), and I've been thinking about doing a blog with more of a homeschool focus - what we're learning, accomplishments, struggles, and misc. ramblings. But I still want to write about reading, knitting, and occasionally sewing so I've decided to combine everything into one blog. I've decided to start this blog at Homeschool Blogger. I haven't decided on a name yet so I don't have a specific URL to share with you. I would LOVE suggestions on what to call this new blog! I am so uncreative. I don't want the word homeschool in the title since the blog will be about more than that. The same goes for any one subject such as reading, knitting, etc.

I'm thinking I may lose some readers when I go to this new blog but I may gain some too. I would love to have you follow me there, but I understand if you're not interested.

I hope to have my new blog started in the next few weeks and when I get a URL I will let you know! Thanks to the faithful readers/commenters of my many blogs.

On the knitting front, I have been knitting only about twice a week lately. Sigh. But I am 3/4 done with a small felted bag and last Tuesday I started a pair of Monkey socks (from knitty.com). I worked on them again last night. Again I'm sorry I've been such a horrible knit blogger lately! I am just as obsessed with knitting as ever and subscribe to new knitting podcasts all the time! My new favorite is the Brown-eyed Mom podcast. I think about knitting all the time. I guess I have more time to think about it than to actually do it but that's just the way it is right now and that's okay. It's not going anywhere. :-)

Happy knitting!

Mid-Year Knitting Resolution Update

jkunstman@new.rr.com (Eileen) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 01:23:00 +0000

Since the year is more than half over I decided to report on my 2008 Knitting Resolutions again. Back in April I revised them to say:

Make 4 pair of socks.
Learn to cable in the first half of 2008.
Learn to do either intarsia or fair isle, sometime in the second half of 2008.
Knit at least one item for charity.
Learn to use dpns, at least do one project with them.
Knit 5 times a week (would love to knit every day but I think that's impossible).

The updates:

I have made 2 pair so far and had the 1" of ribbing of one sock done when the tangled yarn disaster hit. :-( I don't have the money right now to buy more sock yarn. I do have yarn to make the fuzzy feet slippers from knitty.com and I think I might start those soon. Would those count toward my sock total?
I finished the mini-messenger bag (except the felting as you know!) and while the cables were nothing complicated and they were just on the flap of the bag, at least I put my toe in the water with cabling. I enjoyed it and am looking forward to doing another cable project at some point.
Have done nothing toward meeting this goal as of yet.
I haven't knit anything for charity yet but I am thinking of doing a baby blanket. Something fairly simple for times when I don't have the energy I spoke of in a past post . I would like something mindless that I can work on during those times. Given the speed at which I knit (slow) I'm not sure if I would even finish a blanket in 2008 but as long as it was, oh maybe 3/4 finished by the end of the year, I might consider that a goal accomplished. Anyway, any pattern suggestions?
I haven't knit anything with dpns yet either. I'm thinking about trying to knit a hat with dpns. Haven't knit any hats yet. I don't wear them but maybe now is the time to start. :-)
I did fairly well with this goal for the first 3 or 4 months of the year but then my dad got sick and passed away and immediately after that summer hit and I'm just too busy or tired many days. I think I've knit at least once a week, sometimes 2 or 3 times. Ugh.

These are the things I said I do NOT want to do in 2008, and this hasn't changed:

Make anything without a pattern (I LOVE following patterns!)
Design my own pattern (I am not that talented.)
Do a lace project (will probably be a 2009 goal).
Spin or dye my own yarn (Although so many knitters seem to love this, I have NO interest in these things! Maybe someday I'll look back at this post and laugh, but for now it's not for me.)

Have YOU made 2008 knitting resolutions? If so, how are you doing on them? Comment and let me know!

Happy knitting!!

******************
**I've had a few people from my local knitting group offer to wind balls of yarn for me. THANKS! I am most definitely going to be taking you up on that. :-)

I'M SO MAD!!!!!

jkunstman@new.rr.com (Eileen) — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 13:08:00 +0000

Last night I threw out another ball of yarn. Yarn I paid $21 for. Yarn I had my eye on for over a month before buying. Yarn I've had since January just waiting for the right time to knit a pair of socks out of. It's this yarn:

Once again it is due to my horrible center pull ball winding skills. The first skein of yarn I had to wind was Cascade 220 for my first felted bag. No problems whatsoever. No problems winding, no problems knitting from the ball, no tangles, etc. The second ball was also Cascade 220. I tried to wind that one myself without help from hubby and I got it all tangled up and had to throw most of it away. Not until after spending over 2 hours trying to untangle it. I bought another skein and had my husband help me this time and it went fine.

That brings me to this yarn. My husband did help me wind it but I was in a bit of a hurry to get to my knitting group. I'm not sure if this is why things went awry or not. Anyway I did about an inch of the ribbing on my Jaywalker socks when the yarn would not pull out of the center anymore. Somehow it ended up in another tangled mess. Once again I spent a few hours trying to make sense of the mess to no avail. I just pitched the whole thing out.

I'm going to be sick! I'm not winding any more yarn into a ball by hand. I can't afford a ball winder so hopefully I can find someone who will wind yarn for me if I need it. I can't go through this again.

Not so happy knitting here in Wisconsin!

P.S. I have been so busy lately and haven't been visiting your knitting blogs very much. I do plan to get caught up at some point and will let you know I've visited! I know I really appreciate when people comment on my blog and I do like to comment on yours. Please be patient with me!

Knitting Jeopardy

jkunstman@new.rr.com (Eileen) — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 22:29:00 +0000

Answer: All of these are in short supply in my life.

Question: What is time, energy, and money?

Correct! You win a lifetime supply of yarn. (You know I'm kidding about the yarn, right? LOL) I am so obsessed with all things knitting but unfortunately I don't have as much knitting time as I would like. Often when I do have time, I have no energy. And while I currently have enough yarn to keep me knitting for awhile (which is actually not very much, I'm a s-l-o-w knitter), I would love to be able to buy more, more, more yarn. :-)

I live a very blessed life, I'm not complaining (okay maybe just a little) but I'm just stating a fact. I would love to knit more than I do. For now I just knit when I can, listen to my multitude of knitting (and other) podcasts, browse Ravelry, and read Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's books. :-)

Happy knitting!

Another boring knitting update

jkunstman@new.rr.com (Eileen) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 12:56:00 +0000

Good Morning Knitters!

I'm not knitting nearly as much as I would like to (insert big heavy sigh here!) but I have been doing some. I started the little dog toy for my 5 year old. I started a pair of Jaywalker socks for myself. The messenger bag is done awaiting felting. I finished knitting the iPod cozy but it needs to be sewn up and, yes felted. That one can be hand felted so that will probably be felted before the bags.

That is my super exciting not to be missed knitting update! (NOT!)

I don't have any pictures of my knitting right now and I think a blog post looks better with a picture, don't you? So I'll give you another picture of my girls for now. :-)

Hard times....checking in

jkunstman@new.rr.com (Eileen) — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 14:59:00 +0000

Hi knitters, just checking in again. Life has been difficult lately to say the least. My dad passed away on Friday, May 30, and his funeral was this past Tuesday. He had been ill for some time and was in a nursing home, so it wasn't totally unexpected yet we did not expect it just then. It went very fast. My 3 sisters and I were all there with him when he died. We were also all with my mom last July when she died. I never would have thought I would watch both my parents die in less than a year. I'm so thankful I got to be there with both of them though. My mom was 79 and would have been 80 last September, and my dad was also 79 and would have been 80 in November. They were the BEST parents ever and I miss them both so much! I am truly blessed to be their daughter.

I have managed to do a little knitting in the midst of everything, no pics right now though. I'm about 2/3 done with the Icord handle for my messenger bag then that will be done except for felting. I started an iPod cozy, simple garter stitch, which I will also felt. My Sophie bag is also awaiting felting. Ack! I'm about 2/3 done with that. I also on a whim decided I wanted to knit some stuffed animals so I bought the booklet Jean Greenhowe's Knitted Animals. I received that, then ordered some Paton's Astra yarn which hasn't arrived yet. I plan to make both my girls the puppy and I also want to make the frog. I got enough yarn to make all of that. I'm also wanting to start a new pair of socks with my Dyeabolical Neapolitan yarn soon. I just have to roll the yarn into a center pull ball. I think I'm going to try the Jaywalker pattern. I think I will be happiest being a monogamous knitter, so why am I starting all these new projects? :-)

My sweet daughter Lindsey turned 5 last Sunday. The day before we also celebrated the 4th anniversary of the day we first met her in China. Joy in the midst of sorow.

Here's to happier days ahead...

Just checking in.....

jkunstman@new.rr.com (Eileen) — Sat, 24 May 2008 19:50:00 +0000

....to let you know I'm still alive! Knitting has been very s-l-o-w for me lately so I don't have much to report. I haven't been knitting 5 days a week per my resolutions, maybe 2-3 times per week. I've been so tired at night!

I finished the body of the messenger bag. I made a few mistakes on the cables in the first 10 rows or so but they look good after that.

The flap of the bag will actually be as wide as the bag - I just can't pull it out full-size for the picture otherwise it will come off the needles!

I don't like the cable needle I have. This is the only one they had at my LYS when I went to buy it. I had a hard time knitting from it. I thought it would be easier.

I have to make the I-cord handle and then felt it. I still haven't felted my Sophie bag!

I'm almost finished with the ballband dishcloth, just have to bind off and weave in the ends. I think I started it last year! so it's about time I get this thing done.

Sorry to be so boring!

I apologize for my pictures - my camera isn't that great and I don't have a lot of time to set up for pics - I just put a towel down, took the pics, and uploaded them. :-)

Podcasts, Podcasts, and More Podcasts!

jkunstman@new.rr.com (Eileen) — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 21:03:00 +0000

These are all the knitting podcasts I listen to that I haven't talked about in previous posts (those are listed in my sidebar, I will update it with the new ones soon.)

I also started listening to some non-knitting podcasts, if you're interested in things other than knitting. (Other interests besides knitting????? Gasp!!!)

American Idol Podcast (don't have a website link for this, just search on iTunes)
The Big Boo Cast (LOVE this one, so funny!)
Idol Thoughts 2008
Journey for the Heart
KidsWifeWorkLife
Love Long and Prosper
Pediacast
The Divacast

Addicted to podcasts???? ME???? NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You've got me mixed up with someone else! :-)

2008 Knitting Resolutions....and more

jkunstman@new.rr.com (Eileen) — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 13:42:00 +0000

Dawn at Texas Purl Gurl just reviewed her 2008 knitting resolutions so I thought I would do the same here. This is what I wrote back on January 1:

Make 6 pair of socks.
Make matching spring ponchos for my girls (pattern suggestions welcome!)
Learn to cable in the first half of 2008.
Learn to do either intarsia or fair isle, sometime in the second half of 2008.
Knit at least one item for charity.
Learn to use dpns, at least do one project with them.
Knit 5 times a week (would love to knit every day but I think that's impossible).

And the update on each:

I have made 2 pair so far. I started the first pair in 2007 but finished them this year so I'm counting them in the total. Since it took me 3 months to knit them, and almost 7 weeks to knit the second pair, I know I am not going to make my goal of 6 pair this year. To meet that goal I'd almost have to knit nothing but socks and although I loved making both pairs, I do want to knit other things too. So I'm going to revise that goal to make 4 pairs.
I couldn't find a poncho pattern I like for the girls and even if I found one now, I will never finish them on time to wear this spring, which is what I wanted them for. So I'm taking this goal off my list and will possibly put in on my 2009 goals.
I am currently making a mini-messenger bag which has cables on the flap. I am ready to start the flap so I should meet this goal very soon. I haven't knit much at all in the last week! I haven't lost my "knitting mojo" or anything like that, it's just been busy or I've been really tired at night.
I still plan to learn intarsia or fair isle in the second half of this year. I haven't picked out a project yet for that. Any suggestions on a good beginner pattern for either technique?
I haven't knit anything for charity yet.
I haven't knit anything with dpns yet either. Any suggestions once again for a good beginner pattern? Mittens or something? I plan to start making some mittens about halfway through the summer so they are done for next winter.
I think I've knit 5 times a week the whole year so far up until the last week or so. So I'm doing pretty good on this goal.

So here are my official revised 2008 Knitting Resolutions:

Make 4 pair of socks.
Learn to cable in the first half of 2008.
Learn to do either intarsia or fair isle, sometime in the second half of 2008.
Knit at least one item for charity.
Learn to use dpns, at least do one project with them.
Knit 5 times a week (would love to knit every day but I think that's impossible).

I guess they're the same except I changed the number of socks and deleted the ponchos.

***************
In other news:

**Awhile back I mentioned I was making a gift for a friend but I couldn't say what it was until she received it. She got it a few months ago! but I forgot to post about it. It was a dishcloth. She lives in North Carolina so I made her this:

**Podcasts! My sidebar is so not up to date. I listen to many more podcasts than what I have listed. In addition to knitting podcasts I now listen to at least 10 other misc. podcasts. Call me a podcast junkie! I will try to update my sidebar soon and post about some of my favorites. My current favorite knitting podcast is Stitch It! More later....

Thanks! And Socks!

jkunstman@new.rr.com (Eileen) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:00:00 +0000

Thank you all for your kind comments encouraging me to continue blogging, even if it's not very often! You're all so sweet! Like I said I have been tossing around completely ending all my blogs, but then I think about all the friends I have made through them, and I don't want to do it. So I think I will just post as I am able, and make a better effort to comment on others' blogs. You're all the best!

I finished my Tidal Wave Socks a few weeks ago. It took me 4 weeks, knitting just about every day, just to finish the first sock! I then made it a goal to knit the second sock in 3 weeks, and I finished a few days ahead of schedule. So it took me about 6 1/2 weeks total to make the pair.

They turned out pretty well. The second sock ended up bigger than the first. I think I loosened up my knitting or something, because I kept track of how many rows in each section on the first sock and repeated it on the second. They both fit though and you can't tell when they're on that they're not quite the same size. The toe decrease section on the second sock is fairly loose. I don't like that. But they're still wearable.

I love the way the colors patterned themselves (can't think of the term to describe that!) in the leg of the first sock. In the second sock the colors pooled, didn't look the same as the first at all. Again it's fine with me, but I like the first sock so much better.

I'm now making the Mini Messenger bag from one of the One Skein books (can't think of the title at the moment, if it's the yarn shop one or the designer one) using Cascade 220. I finished the body of the bag and next will be the flap where the cables are. One of my New Year's Resolutions was to learn how to cable, so I thought this would be a good first project for that. I haven't taken any pictures of it yet.

I had originally bought some Cascade 220 yarn for the bag in a beautiful blue color. The first time I made something with that yarn (the Sophie bag I made which has yet to be felted!) my husband held the yarn for me while I wound it into a center pull ball. It went really well, no problems. So with this skein I decided to try to wind it into a ball without any help. BIG MISTAKE! It got all tangled up and after spending TWO HOURS trying to straighten it out, I finally threw most of the skein out! I hated to do it but I had no choice! I went to a different yarn shop to buy another skein and they didn't have the original color so I bought more in a green heather color. This time my husband helped me wind it into a ball and it went smoothly. :-)

Thanks again everyone for your input!

********************

I take terrible pictures. The sock in front is actually the first (and smaller) sock. But in this picture it looks bigger than the sock in back. You can see the difference in the way the yarn patterned in each sock. I like the one in front better.

Just a little while longer....

jkunstman@new.rr.com (Eileen) — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 13:32:00 +0000

WOW, I haven't posted in over a month. I promise to update soon.

I have been tossing around deleting all my blogs. But I can't quite bring myself to end them either. I just don't have the time/energy/ambition to post much of the time. Things are going on in my personal life (the biggest one is my dad is ill) and with 2 active little girls and a teenager in his final year of (homeschooled) high school with college decisions being made, I just can't seem to do more than read other people's blogs. I don't think I have that many readers either, but if you're out there, please stick around! I really don't want to only talk to myself. :-) So anyway it remains up in the air what I'll end up doing. I will post an update here sooner or later.

Fyi, the Tidal Wave socks are done. :-)

How do you knit so fast?

jkunstman@new.rr.com (Eileen) — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 18:50:00 +0000

I started my Tidal Wave socks over 2 weeks ago. Since then I've worked on them almost every day for anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour. Actually 2 hours a week ago Sunday when I went to my local Knit & Sip. I finished the heel flap of the first sock last night. HOW DO YOU KNIT A WHOLE PAIR OF SOCKS IN A WEEK? OR A WEEKEND? I've heard of both. You don't sleep? :-) Or what?

It doesn't matter that much to me. I am totally enjoying making these socks. I just wonder.....

So here they are so far....

Other knitting notes:
-Sophie bag still not felted
-Haven't heard yet if friend received my gift
-Not sure if I'll start another project soon or work on socks until they are done

Note to Chris: I so planned to participate in your book thingy here on my blog. I really did. But here it is over 2 weeks later and I haven't done it yet, so I hope you don't mind if I don't do it. I do love to read! And thank you so much for your kind comment about my knitting. I won't tell you about the mistakes I made in my sock so far. LOL

Pair of Socks #2

jkunstman@new.rr.com (Eileen) — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 17:13:00 +0000

I finally started my second pair of socks last night. I'm making the Tidal Wave socks using my Tofutsies yarn.

I cast them on and frogged them THREE times before I got it right. I kept making stupid mistakes. I don't know how good my cast on edge is going to be in the end. I've only done 2 rounds so far so it's hard to tell. I'm not having a problem at all working with fingering weight yarn and smaller needles. I've crocheted many doilies in my lifetime with thread so I guess I'm used to using thinner yarn. It was still a good idea, I think, to use worsted weight yarn for my first pair of socks. But I also think I would have been fine starting out with regular sock yarn too. I should probably hold my tongue though until I finish one sock and see how it turns out!

I finished knitting the Sophie Bag about a week ago. I just have to felt it, but I have to find someone who will let me borrow their top loader washing machine first. I'm not sure when I'll get around to that.

I finished the gift I was knitting also, but it hasn't been mailed yet so I still can't say what it is or post a picture.

I'm debating if I want to exclusively work on my socks or if I want to also cast on for Fuzzy Feet. Part of me wants to just focus on only one project right now, but I think I might like a little variety too. I'll let you know.

I guess I haven't been doing a ton of knitting lately. I hope to get back into it more now that I started my socks.

Happy knitting!

Socks are Done! (and January recap)

jkunstman@new.rr.com (Eileen) — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 16:19:00 +0000

I finished the second sock on Wednesday night. I haven't had a chance to take a picture and post until now. It's not the greatest picture but here they are:

It looks like one sock is smaller than the other in the top pic but it isn't. In fact, they are both exactly the same size. I did a good job on that anyway! :-) The color looks different in these 2 pics - the actual color is closer to the pic on the bottom, where they're on my feet. :-)

************

January Recap:

On my needles when the month started:
-First socks
-Sophie bag felted purse
-Gift that can't be named yet
-Ballband dishcloth

Off my needles by the end of the month:
-First socks

Goals for February:
-Finish Sophie bag
-Finish gift
-Finish ballband dishcloth
-Swatch and begin second pair of socks, hopefully finish!
-Find a pattern for ponchos for my girls
-Start small felted purse pattern with Boku yarn

Stash

jkunstman@new.rr.com (Eileen) — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 14:28:00 +0000

I have a stash! Okay so it's only 6 skeins. LOL I will probably never be one to have a huge stash - the main reason being finances. I just don't have money to spend on yarn that will just sit there for a long time. I wish I did though!

Also I really prefer to pick a project first and then buy the yarn to go with it. I'm just not good at buying yarn without knowing what it's for - how much do I get is one issue. The exception may be sock yarn, and if I do end up with any sort of real stash it will probably be composed mainly of that. It's easy to know how much sock yarn to buy.

So anyway, other than a million half used balls of Sugar & Cream or Peaches & Cream cotton yarn, some leftover thread from crocheting doilies, and I believe I have a skein of Red Heart for Kids yarn that I didn't end up needing for Lindsey's scarf, here's "my stash":

Dyeabolical Yarns - Alter Ego Merino Sock Yarn
Color: Neapolitan
I just received this last week. I bought it from DyeabolicalYarns.etsy.com. I actually had it in my cart a few times before Christmas, and then deleted it right before finishing the order. I wanted to wait to see what I would get at my LYS a few weeks ago first. I didn't see anything like it so I got home and bought this. I just love the colors. Not sure what sock pattern I will use for this yet.

Knit Picks CotLin
Color: Fiesta Pink
No idea what I'm going to make with this 70% cotton 30% linen yarn. I was placing an order from Knit Picks and just decided to throw this in my cart and try it.

Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Worsted
Color: Chianti
Bought at my LYS, 2 skeins, to make Fuzzy Feet from Knitty.com

SWTC Tofutsies
Color: #800?
Bought from my other LYS, not sure what pattern I will use this with yet either.

Plymouth Boku
Color: Olives
When I bought the Cascade 220 from Patternworks for the felted bag I'm making, I also threw in this - it came with a free pattern for a very small felted purse.

I'm so proud of my little stash. :-)

I'm almost finished with my socks! I need to finish them by Thursday, the end of January. It will only have taken me 3 months from start to finish. LOL A full month of that time at least was spent with the socks "on hold" either waiting for help when I was stuck or waiting for more yarn to come in at Knit Picks. I don't plan for my next pair of socks to take that long! I just have 3 rounds of the toe then kitchener it together.

I was going to finish the socks last night but by the time I got the kids in bed I was way too tired to do anything but watch TV. My husband left to go out of town for work yesterday and wouldn't you know it, I woke up with a sore throat. So not only will I be shouldering the whole load of taking care of 2 active little girls and homeschooling my son, but I'm sick on top of it. Then I was up 8 times with my youngest last night who came down with a cold late in the day yesterday.

I'm also almost done with my felted purse and the other project that shall not be named since it's a gift. When I finish all those I will post pics. Then I will start swatching for my next pair of socks. I can't wait!

Sigh

jkunstman@new.rr.com (Eileen) — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 13:30:00 +0000

Back to your regularly scheduled knitting....

I'm so disappointed that the Packers lost last night. Sadness in Packerland this morning. Hats off to the Giants though who deserved to win, and I hope they crush the Patriots in the Super Bowl. What a horrible game. They couldn't move the ball and they couldn't stop the Giants. Except for the 90 yard TD by Driver the whole game was miserable. But, life goes on. We didn't expect this season to go the way it did, we had a blast, it was a great ride. Too bad it didn't end better but what can you do.

So, what am I working on right now? I actually didn't knit at all this weekend. I had my nephew's birthday party on Saturday and then my sister watched my kids so my husband and I could go out for awhile. After all that I was too tired to knit. Yesterday I didn't get a chance while Allison was napping and then last night was the game. I can't knit during a Packer game especially one like that. :-) Other than that though I think I've knitted every single day this year so I'm still keeping up my resolution to knit at least 5 days a week. Of course it's only January 21 but hey. :-)

I'll be working on my second sock hopefully tonight. I ran out of yarn after a few rounds of the foot. I knew I would since I had to use some of the second ball for the first sock. Then Knit Picks was out of that yarn for awhile. I got another ball last week. Obviously it's not the same dye lot but it looks about the same, and the sock will either be in a shoe or just worn around the house so if it doesn't match exactly that's okay.

I'm almost done with my felted purse. I just have to bind off, do Icord for the handles, and then felt it.

I'm working on a gift for a friend. I don't think she reads this blog but just in case I'm not going to say what it is. Just something small.

I also have a ballband dishcloth that's been in progress for over a month now. I really don't like working with cotton yarn, even using bamboo needles as some have suggested.

I bought a ball of Tofutsies from my LYS to make another pair of socks, and I also have some sock yarn coming from Etsy for another pair. Not sure which yarn I'm going to use first, or which pattern I'll be doing. I haven't decided yet. I just bought some Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Worsted Weight yarn also from my LYS to make a pair of Fuzzy Feet. Haven't started any of that yet.

So that's about it! Pictures hopefully in my next post. Happy knitting!

WAHOO!!!

jkunstman@new.rr.com (Eileen) — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 17:02:00 +0000

We interrupt this knitting blog to bring you breaking news......
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THE PACKERS ARE IN THE NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME AND IT'S COMING TO LAMBEAU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

!!!!!GO PACK GO!!!!!

Relaxation

jkunstman@new.rr.com (Eileen) — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 18:53:00 +0000

I sent a friend of mine this picture and she said....

"I WANT A DOG'S LIFE!!!"

I totally agree with her (especially on one of *those* days!), don't you????

And a close up.....

Hope your knitting makes you this relaxed! :-)

More Podcasts

jkunstman@new.rr.com (Eileen) — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 00:14:00 +0000

I recently found 2 more knitting podcasts that I love:

Knit Naturally

Gwendolyn's Gifts

Edited to add: I forgot about one more new knitting podcast! I've listened to 2/3 episodes so far and I think it's great:

Stitch It!

I also just finished listening to all 12 episodes of a podcast that is no more :-( called Unwound. It is too bad because it was a GREAT podcast! I love the "Listener's Poll" she had each week and people could call in and leave a voice message with the answer to her poll questions. She would play those responses as part of the podcasts. ANY PODCASTERS OUT THERE LISTENING???? I would LOVE it if someone would start doing the same thing on their podcast. It was so interesting!

Speaking of podcasts, I also listen to some that are not knitting related. First, I used to sew about 10? years ago or so (you can read about it on my neglected sewing blog here) and I started to get back into it about a year ago, then lost interest again. Well now I'm wanting to sew again so I've been listening to some sewing podcasts to get inspired.

Stitch by Stitch with SewMommy (Connie has been a good friend of mine for years, I love her new podcast!)

Sew Forth Now

Material Mama

Grandma's Sewing Cabinet

Miss You Sew Much (only 2 episodes but they were good, wish they would do more)

And two aviation-related podcasts (I'm fascinated by this stuff, I love to fly! "Betty" is full of funny and interesting stories.)

Betty in the Sky with a Suitcase

Fly With Me

What is your favorite podcast?

New Year's Knitting Resolutions

jkunstman@new.rr.com (Eileen) — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 23:28:00 +0000

Here are my knitting resolutions for the new year:

Make 6 pair of socks.
Make matching spring ponchos for my girls (pattern suggestions welcome!)
Learn to cable in the first half of 2008.
Learn to do either intarsia or fair isle, sometime in the second half of 2008.
Knit at least one item for charity.
Learn to use dpns, at least do one project with them.
Knit 5 times a week (would love to knit every day but I think that's impossible).

Things I do NOT want to do in 2008:

Make anything without a pattern (I LOVE following patterns!)
Design my own pattern (I am not that talented.)
Do a lace project (will probably be a 2009 goal).
Spin or dye my own yarn (Although so many knitters seem to love this, I have NO interest in these things! Maybe someday I'll look back at this post and laugh, but for now it's not for me.)

I may think of more, but that's it for now. I also want to crochet some, maybe some thread coasters to give away here on my blog for fun. :-) I want to get back into sewing more too. There are NOT enough hours in the day!

************

I finished the heel flap on my second sock! I have not been bit by Second Sock Syndrome. I guess I want to finish this so I can make a pair of socks with regular sock yarn. I want to use something much more colorful next time. I really like this Knit Picks yarn and I like the color too, but I am itching to knit with something brighter.

For the purse I am making I am using Cascade 220 Plum Heather which is also a muted darker color similar to my sock yarn. I picked up the stitches along the sides and bottom this afternoon, not sure if I did it right, but I'm going to move on to knitting the sides and see what happens. I know felting hides some mistakes so I'm hoping that is the case for my first felted project. :-)

************

For Christmas I got 2 knitting related items - Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's book Yarn Harlot, the Secret Life of a Knitter, and a knitting pattern a day calendar. The calendar offers a free online second calender so I chose the Stitch and B---- calendar. Two for one, yea! I also got some money from my dad which I plan to use at my LYS to buy sock yarn. When am I going to do that you ask? Well...........my husband is giving me a day out by myself for my Christmas present. Hopefully next week one day will be the day. I plan to visit my 2 LYS's, go to the library, Barnes & Noble, Starbucks, and who knows what else. I can't wait!

************

Happy New Year!!!

DONE!

jkunstman@new.rr.com (Eileen) — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 02:26:00 +0000

I finished my sock on Sunday night! I think it turned out pretty good. It's not perfect but it fits. Well it could be a little narrower and a little shorter and still fit. It's so thick, being made with worsted weight yarn, and it's just a little roomy. But they will be nice wearing in the house while watching TV on a cold winter night (and we have plenty of those here in Wisconsin!)

After I finished I immediately cast on for the second sock and am about halfway done with the leg. When I get to the heel I'm going to put it aside for a bit and work on the felted purse I started. I have the bottom done on that and am ready to pick up stitches along the sides.

TA DA!!!!!! .........................

Merry Christmas!

jkunstman@new.rr.com (Eileen) — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 15:03:00 +0000

PODCASTS!!!

jkunstman@new.rr.com (Eileen) — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 14:16:00 +0000

I LOVE knitting podcasts!!! I am so addicted, it's crazy. I have listed all the ones I listen to on my sidebar. I tried out many many more than that but they didn't make the cut. :-) There are two VERY popular podcasts that I do.not.like! Get ready to gasp, they are Cast On and Lime & Violet. I listened to about 10 episodes each and did not like either one.

My absolute favorites are The Knitting Cook, Stash & Burn, Socks in the City, She-Knits, Yarn Thing, Knit Picks, Knit Spirit, Sticks and String, Pointy Sticks, and Damknit. (She swears an awful lot in that last podcast but I really like her style.) I also really like It's a Purl, Man which took about 5 or 6 episodes to grow on me. Some of the podcasts I have listed haven't done a new episode in a long time so I'm not sure if they're done or not. I know Unwound is finished after 12 episodes which is a huge bummer since I just recently found that one and I love it. I've listened to half so far. Socks in the City is a hoot!

I tried to start at the very first episode of each podcast if possible. Some of them didn't start with #1 in iTunes. Then I went through and listened to each subsequent episode until I caught up. I'm still not caught up on some of them.

If you haven't listened to a knitting podcast yet, give it a try! But beware, it's addicting. :-)