"Properly practiced, knitting soothes the troubled spirit, and it doesn't hurt the untroubled spirit either." ~ Elizabeth Zimmerman

2/28/18

WIP Wednesday February 28, 2018

Another WIP post. I needed to start a knitting project that would be easily portable. I decided to make a scarf for a male acquaintance. I bought some Universal Yarns Bamboo Pop in black and granite. I picked one of the scarf patterns from my new knitting book,  Seed Stitch Beyond Knit 1, Purl 1. I have been enjoying it so much. It's a 4 row stitch pattern easily memorized. It's knitting up fairly quickly despite the size 5 needles and thinner yarn.



I worked on the entrelac cardigan sleeve but didn't make much headway because I frogged it and started over. I've just gotten back to where I was before frogging. It's looking much better.

I worked on my Mini Star Trek a bit too. I have a good part of the Mudd's woman wearing the green dress stitched.



The pattern has a very different green. Almost a teal color, and I was going to use it, but then I thought I'd google a pic and found out her dress is more this limey color than what the pattern has.



The third lady is wearing a light purple dress too, whereas the pattern has her in blue. I'm using the purple.



I purchased a lap stand for doing my stitching this last week. It arrived today. It's a K's Creations Z stand with the Q-Snap compatible clamp.



It makes stitching a little easier because my hands are free from holding the frame. I used to sell a lot of them in my shop. I have no idea why I didn't bring one home.

The hot tub started leaking pretty badly again. I've put in some Leak Fixer and it's working. Two days and no leaks. Now I'm waiting for it to cure, which takes 3 days. I hope it works longer than it did the first time. I'm about ready to give up on this hot tub. It's pretty old. I think the acrylic is just giving out and cracking.

Sweet hubby had a job interview this morning with a company in Spokane, WA. He said he thinks it went well. I guess we'll find out for sure eventually. If he gets hired, we won't have to move. Job hunting is so hard.

Live long and prosper. \\//

2/21/18

WIP Wednesday February 21, 2018

Hello! It's WIP Wednesday again. It's also me and sweet hubby's 36th wedding anniversary.  I can't believe it's been 36 years. He's the best husband a woman could ask for and I'm super thankful he married me.

So, I was working on the Mini Star Trek doing the backstitch outline on the pink dress Mudd's lady and I thought to myself that things would look much better with more outlining than I've been doing. I've just been outlining the outside edges. That kind of looked weird on miss pink dress lady. So I outlined everything and she looked so much better. Then I spent the next couple hours doing the same thing to the whole project. Didn't take very long and it all looks so much better.



10 characters are done. 9 to go. I've started number 11, the green dress lady, with her arm. ('Scuse the shadows. The sun is shining.) Someone told me they didn't like this cuz it's "too cartoony". I said "Duh. That's what I love about it."

I put the shoulders together on the entrelac cardigan using the 3-needle bind off. Now I'm knitting the first sleeve.



This project has been so fun. I'm gonna be sad when it's done.

We got sunshine today. It's not warm though. Got down below zero last night, and it's only 16F right now (about 10 am). The whole week is going to be frigid.

I went out yesterday, when it was 13F, to sit in the hot tub and the leak has returned. The water level was just above the highest jet. Feeling disgusted, I sat in it anyway. The water was nice and hot. There's something about sitting in a tub full of hot water surrounded by tons of snow and ice that just makes the whole day good. It's very satisfying. I'm going to have to put some more Fix a Leak in the thing. Didn't expect it to do this.

Sweet hubby is still looking for a job. There is a possibility in the works, but I'm not going into details until it works out, if it works out. If it works out, life will be AWESOME. The important thing is, we've got hope now.

Speaking of job hunting, we learned something about it last week. Did you know that when you submit your resume to a company online that a human is not the first thing that looks at it? Nope. A computer does. Software searches for key words on your resume and if it doesn't find any of them your resume is bumped to the rejection pile. If it does find the words, the resume goes to the hiring department. We did not know that. Good grief things have changed since the last time we did any job hunting! Hubs is rewriting his resume.

Live long and prosper. \\//

2/15/18

Zoey Sweater #3

Finally got some pics of Zoey in her newest sweater.



Pattern: Dogosaurus Rex by Patons
Made For: Zoey

Size: Large

Yarn: Premier Yarns Deborah Norville Everyday Soft Worsted Prints
Content: 100% Acrylic, Worsted weight
Color: Carnivale

Yarn: S.R. Kertzer Northern Worsted
Content: 100% Acrylic, worsted weight
Color:  0813 Violet

Needles: Circular size 5 and 7

Started: January 18, 2018
Finished: February 6, 2018

Comment: I made some changes to the pattern. First of all, I knit it in the round which was a bit of a challenge when I got to the leg holes.



I also knit it in a garter rib pattern because I knew it would look great with this self striping yarn.



Of course, I customized it to Zoey's size.



She loves wearing her new sweater.

"Can I go play now?"


Live long and prosper. \\//

2/14/18

WIP Wednesday 2/14/2018

Happy Valentines day! 

I'm doing a WIP Wednesday post today. First we have the entrelac baby cardigan. I've finished the back and working on the left front. It's going very nicely.



I am at the place where I start decreasing for the neckline. It's the weirdest way of decreasing. Starting on the right side, you're supposed to knit across to the last 3 sts, then bind them off, cut the yarn, then retie it on and knit the next row. Why didn't they stop on a wrong side row and start with the bind off? It's kind of a stupid way of doing it, adding 2 unecessary ends to weave in. I'm not doing it like that cuz it's too ridiculous. I'm gonna do it my way. Sometimes I wonder just what the designer was on when they wrote their pattern.

Last night I finished the 9th character in MiniStarTrek.



This is Mudd from the episode "Mudd's Women". The next character will be one of those women.

UPS delivered a new knitting book to me this morning.



It's a wonderful book with lots of seed stitch patterns. I love seed stitch. I love the way the author has combined it with colorwork knitting. I want to make a scarf for an aquaintance using one of the patterns in this book. I need to acquire some black and grey yarn. Something that feels luxurious, but won't break our quickly depleting bank account. Hmm..maybe bamboo?

The snow fairy whomped us last night. We got about 6 inches. It stopped snowing about noon today. I'm hoping that will be the last snow storm of the season, but I know it's still February. It's still a long way to spring.

Live long and prosper. \\//

2/10/18

The Simple Woman's Daybook for February 10, 2018



Outside my window...  Brilliant sunshine and blue sky. However, it's only 32F degrees out, so I won't be going out on the deck to knit for awhile.

I am thinking...  that I've not been very good at getting the doll outfits I've made into my Etsy store. My heart doesn't seem to be in it. Sigh.

I am thankful for...  our house being paid for. We'd be having a very hard time with Doug not working if it wasn't. So far we're managing okay.

From the kitchen... I made Spaghetti Pie for dinner last night. It was so good. I should make it more often. It's not difficult to make.

I am wearing... blue jeans and a navy blue and white print t-shirt. I've had the shirt for ages. It has a crochet lace embellishment around the neck.

I am creating...   the Entrelac baby cardigan. It's going very well. I forgot how fun Entrelac is, and it's knitting up fast too because I'm using worsted weight yarn. As i've been working on it, I've been thinking about ways to make it seamless. Might try it on the next one.



I am going... nowhere today. I was going to go to the drug store, but it isn't open today. Urg. It recently acquired a new owner and the place is in chaos now. The transition from the old owner to the new one is like watching a clown show. I've been down there 3 times this week in an attempt to get a refill and they've had 3 different excuses why they don't have it for me. I hope things get shaken out soon, or I'll have to find another pharmacy.

I am reading... Agatha Christie right now, A Pocket Full of Rye. I just started it a couple nights ago. I was reading a novel written by an acquaintenance before it. I've finish that and now I have to figure out what I'm going to tell her as to how I liked it, etc.
 
I am listening… to the television. Sweet hubby is watching a movie on Amazon Prime. One of those gratuitive violence movies with a lousy plot but lots of fighting and dead bodies.

I am hoping… we might get an early spring this year. It would be so nice if we do. Not counting on it though. The weather could change pretty drastically.

Around the house... the living room is a mess. I gave Zoey a new toy from the dollar store and now there's clumps of polyester fiberfill all over the place. Zoey is exhausted from doing the mayhem and is now sleeping on Sweet hubby's lap.

One of my favorite things...  Old Fred Astaire movies. He was a fantastic dancer. The way he moves makes it all look so easy. I especially love the movies he made with Ginger Rogers.



A few plans for the rest of the week: Just get through the week. Sunday is the Inland Northwest Freethought Society meeting. I'll try again at the drug store on Monday. Tuesday I have Rathdrum Knitalong. Wednesday I get to stay home so house cleaning. Thursday is Yarnies. Friday home again-so I'll probably get the grocery shopping done. But, mostly, I'm going to watch the Olympics this week.


Here is a picture for thought I am sharing...   
A beaded bead I made years ago.



If you want to join the Simple Woman's Daybook, click here.

Live long and prosper. \\//

2/8/18

How About a WIP?

I started a new layette set today. Doing something different.



I have been looking for a dog sweater pattern in Entrelac. I have had no luck whatsover. However, I did come across the cutest Entrelac baby cardigan pattern on Etsy,



so I bought it and started it this morning. Isn't it adorable? I've been in the mood to knit Entrelac. This will definitely fill the need. I'm using baby blue, white, and gray to go with another piece of the elephant fleece.

Tuesday was the 30th anniversary of my 29th birthday. It was a very nice day. My husband took me out to dinner to Applebee's. I had steak, garlic mashed potatoes, and a pile of perfectly cooked green beans (which is extremely rare). I had their apple cheesecake for dessert. It was so good. I came home feeling very satisfied. Incidentally, I can now say I've been knitting for 50 years.

Today it's been unseasonably warm. Beautiful blue sky, sunshine, and 57F degrees, I'm luvin' it. Sweet hubby decided to go on his first bike ride of the year. It's not normal at all to be this warm in February. It's dropping down into the 30's tomorrow, so we've taken advantage today before it's gone.

If you should know of a dog sweater pattern in Entrelac, please let me know.

Live long and prosper. \\//

2/3/18

I Have Romulans

Thought I'd do a WIP post today. First, we have my current counted cross stitch project, MiniStarTrek.



I finished the Romulans today. Eight characters done, 11 to go. That red thread is the center of my fabric and right where the next row of characters go. It will be Mudd's Women.

I've also been working on another sweater for Zoey.



The light for this pic is terrible. Should have done it in daylight. You can't tell, but the wide orange stripes are supposed to be dark pink, and the collar is purple. I am now at the point where I put the ribbing around the bottom edge of the body, and then around the leg holes. Both will be purple like the collar.

I've been looking very hard for an entrelac dog sweater pattern. So far no luck. One is listed on Ravelry, so I bought the book it's in only to find out it isn't actually entrelac. It's modular knitting, which is a whole 'nuther animal that involves a lot of ends to weave in. I also found some hand made entrelac dog sweaters on Etsy, but the knitter is not willing to share her pattern, which I completely understand (I wouldn't either). I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask. So, I guess I'm out of luck, unless one of my readers can point me to one. I think I might have to figure out how to do it myself.

We got a little bit of snow Thursday night. The predictions were for a lot of snow, but it turned out to be just a quarter of an inch. Now we're having a warm spell for the next few days. Someone even mentioned getting into the 50F's. I'll believe it when I see it.

Tuesday is the 30th anniversary of my 29th birthday. Yikes, I'm starting to get old. I will be baking myself a Coconut Cake that day, but won't eat it until Wednesday, at the KnitWits meeting.

Live long and prosper. \\//