I have a plan

I've never done this before, but I'm going to give it a really good try. I'm going to try and finish a cardigan to wear to an fund raising event.

On the evening of June 5th I'm attending a fund raiser for the IBVM sisters, the Loretto Sisters. I attended the Abbey for high school and was taught by many a Loretto Sister, but I'm really going because one of my mother's very favourite friends ask if I wish to attend with her.

Okay, now here's my plan. I'm knitting Sirdar's Cardigan #9005. I started it late Wednesday evening when I ran into trouble with the Purple Polka Purl Dots top. I've already finished one sleeve. It is really knitting up fast. So all I have to do in the next 3 weeks is the other sleeve, two front pieces and the back. Oh and block it and sew it together. No sweat. Let's see how I do.

Oh, did I mention I can't think of anything else I own that might work that night, hmmm, I'll be so busy knitting that I'll never have time to shop, so I had better get this finished. Good thing it's a long weekend.

I'll try to post some pictures soon. I don't have my camera right now, my brother took it with him when he took his class to Quebec last month and I still don't have it back.

Lost Within PurplePolka Purls

Yesterday I finished the back of the sweater, so today I wanted to start on the fronts of the top. I picked up the pattern and began decoding it for myself. I read and read and re-read the instructions. I even read the instructions out loud to my brother (not that I really expected him to understand anything I said). But I couldn't figure out what I was suppose to do.

The top looks wonderful so far. I love the way it's coming together. I just wish I knew what I have to do to get it finished. Thank goodness for the Internet. I'm going onto Ravelry to ask if anyone can help me decode the pattern.

Yarn swift was an expensive experience

I went back to my favourite yarn store as they let you use their yarn swift to wind a ball of yarn. I'm about ready to join my last ball of Butterfly Super 10 for my beautiful Purple Polka Purl Dots summer top. So, instead of hand winding the yarn as I've done for the past 2 hanks, I decided to treat myself and use the store's swift. It turned out to be an expensive experience.

Why, do you ask?

Because I could resist purchasing more of the beautiful Butterfly Super 10.

I am utterly enjoying knitting with this beautiful cotton thread. It is very easy to knit and feels wonderful. I bought 5 hanks of 3446 Cotton Candy to knit a beautiful 1 button lacy cardigan (pattern by Sirdar #9005) and 3 hanks of 3475 Geranium to knit a sleeveless top (pattern also by Sirdar #9155)

While I was in the store I wound 2 hands of the lighter colour, the cotton candy. I told Lynn that I should have wound them all as it would be less expensive that way. She was confused until I told her the cost of winding my one ball of 3928 Plum (4 patterns and 8 additional hanks of yarn).

I bought another Sirdar pattern (#8400) of another sleeveless summer top. It has a sharp zigzag pattern going up the front and back. And I also bought the Naturally Yarns pattern FC 46 of another sleeveless summer top. This one is knit in 4 ply.

Oh, and I didn't' mention the shipment of Shine Sport I received today from KnitPicks, did I? Well, I save that for another day. Maybe the day I have to pay the credit card?

Right on Track

I'm in a celebrator mood tonight. I'm making the Polka Purl Drops, pattern by Veronik Avery. I just completed the 56th row of the shaping of the front and waist with lots of decreases and making stitches, not to mention the 14 rows of purl polka dots. At this row I should have 63-2-108-2-63 stitches, the twos are seed stitches for the fake seems. Well, as surprised as I am, I'm perfect. I feel like screaming and yahooing all over the place, but it is after midnight, I might wake my neighbours.
Now on to the next stage, getting ready to divide and shape armholes.

Felting Amanda Squatty Sidekick

I'm felting my little purse again. I felted it back in March, but the hot water in my house isn't quite hot enough to felt properly. So, I used boiling water this time and it looks so much better.
I love the colour of this purse, but the picture in the pattern was done in a very pretty pink. Hmm, I could always do with another purse, right?!

I'll post another picture of the purse when it is dry and has a pretty button to finish it off. I'm thinking of getting some pretty cotton or silk to make a lining.

Buying yarn is addictive

I never realized before how addictive it can be purchasing yarn. Okay, I'm lying. I've always known, but I didn't face up to my addiction until now because I would stash my yarn all over the house and not in a one place. Now that I'm re-organizing the house I've been collected said stashes and consolidating them into one stash.
"Hi, I'm Michele and I'm addicted to purchasing yarn"
What is worse is the Internet for enabling me in my addiction. I saw the cutes knit turtle on someone else's blog yesterday (memory failure, the blog was a yarn blog and it is not remembered). So I went to find the pattern (on Knitty) and to purchase yarn to make a few for friends' children. I couldn't decide what colours to purchase so I bought one of most of the colours.
So when did I actually think I'd have time to actually make these cute little turtles with detachable shells. Maybe when I'm finished the 2 afghans, 3 tops, 2 sweaters, 3 hats, 2 pairs of socks, 3 shawls that I'm currently working on.
Oh, no, I think I'm addicted to starting knitting projects too. HELP

The trouble with DPN

DPN are driving me insane.

First they are instruments of torture, the 8 inch-going to gouge out your eye needles. I have a real problem with sharp things near my eyes. The typical DPN is SO long that I absolutely hate using them for socks as the knitting is so far away from the sharp point of the needles. I tend to take my glasses off which makes me quite blind so I have to bring my work much closer (like an inch or two from my eyes) in order to see anything. It's like those horrible 3 D scary movies of the past with the scary item flying back and forth from your eyes, except these would really hurt. Can't you just hear generations of mothers saying, "you'll poke your eye out!"

Secondly the bamboo needles bend. I found some really nice 5 inch bamboo needles, one sock down and I'd bent them all. I guess I really put pressure on them, but how do you get rid of ladders if you don't pull tight, and in the pulling I guess I put pressure. So for sock two I changed to 6 inch bamboo and they are also beginning to curve. And working with pointy, very sharp needles an inch or two from my eyes with a slight bend so the far point is not in the same place as the near point or where my fingers are holding the thing is driving me crazy.

I just hope my feet appreciate all the hard work and sacrifices my fingers and eyes go through to make these socks.