Tuck in Ends

I watched December Boys last night, while working on the skirt. The movie was so-so, but the skirt was awsome! I worked diligently on it most of the day yesterday and into last evening and I was finally able to finish knitting it. I am so esctatic!

Right now, I am working at getting all of the little ends tucked in. There are about four in the middle and each side of the skirt has 6 ends apiece at the bottom, because of the lace panels. After that I will sew it all up! It says to start at the bottom and stitch up, but I think I will start at the top and matress stitch my way down, since it was knit bottom up and I can just use the excess on each top end to sew it. That way I don't have an extra 6 ends to tuck in. It shouldn't make a difference... right?

The only difference I can see in each of the pieces is on the top waistline. The pattern calls for a series of yarn overs and then to knit them all. I think I must have done something different when I created the first half, because the holes aren't quite as big and the top of the second half is more loose than the first. Since it is a drawstring waist, I think it won't make much of a difference, except when pulling the drawstring through the holes. Then again, maybe I just knit it more tightly than the second piece.

Other than inwardly cheering about finishing up, I ended up with a cold over the weekend. Scratchy throat, runny-nose, and all. I think I've sneezed about five times today, too! I'm just trying to drink a lot of tea, hotchocolate, and orange juice in hopes it will just go away. >.<

Books and Yarn

I completely forgot to post the last week that I ordered The Knit Cafe Journal at Borders. It came in over the weekend, but I still haven't started writting in it. It is very pretty, but it will look even better with swatches, pencil markings, and pictures all over the place. For right now it is very clean-cut looking. When I am "finished" with it, I'm hoping that it looks more scrapbook-ish. We'll just see how that goes.

Along with the journal, I should add more of the books that I have received to my sidebar. My bf's mum gave me all four of the Stitionary books, yay, and I received Romantic Knits from my own mum. There are quite a few others that I have purchased, too, over the past year that have not made it on there.

My "knitting porn collection" I think will soon over-shadow my stash! I am still under twenty books in the collection; however, it definately rivals what my local library has to offer.

My brother is coming over today and we're going to watch OotP. I am hoping to sit and knit while that is playing. I got the special edition DvD for Christmas, but have only watched all of the special features so far! It will be my fourth viewing of the film. I was lucky enough to go to the theater twice to see it and I caught it when it came out on DvD.

Anyway, more work on the skirt to be completed today. I have not been able to knit any of it for the past two days, mostly due to schedule. I'm desperate to get it finished, since I want to start on something else. I'm not sure what my next project will be. I would like to make a pair of Ravenclaw armwarmers, but that would mean yarn shopping. Yarn shopping is great fun! But I have an entire box full of yarn and projects that should be completed. Plus, I have to crochet a scarf for my bf's brother and mum, apparently, which is fine, since that takes about a day to complete.

Things To Do

I ran out of yarn on the ball I was using for my skirt, so I need to wind another ball. A ball winder would come in handy, but as I don't have one of those, I'll need to wind it by hand. Yay so fun. :I

Also, I need to clean up the house, since the boyfriend's parents are coming over for dinner tonight. He's cooking some parmesan chicken, so at least I won't have to worry about dinner. I should probably make some cupcakes though for dessert.

I'd better get to it. There doesn't look like there will be much time for knitting today.




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Much later:

Dinner was good. Finished winding the ball that I started this morning. I had to get the bf to hold the hank for me for the last bit, since it kept trying to tangle itself. For a non-knitter he can be pretty patient, especially considering I stopped him while he was playing a video game.

Still, no knitting today. I should have some time tomorrow. Yay! I will finish my skirt in no time now!

Ravelry

I signed up today. Let's see what all this hype is about, eh?

Later Today...

Catchy title, ya? I cheated. I worked on my skirt while I tutored today. I have now finished most of the eyelet rows. Pretty soon all I will have to work on is the plain stockinette stitch part of the skirt! It is very exciting, since that takes about as much time as the lace rows did, even though it is about twice the length.

I did not stop for the fiber fill, so I'll have to finish that tomorrow. Also, I did not get to the nostrils of the small nose warmer. Maybe in a bit. For now, it is time to work on that skirt!

Today

Although I'm up a bit late today, my knitting goals are to finish making Icord, a cupcake, and my nose warmers. I started a gigantic strand of Icord to use as a teaching aide. I'm signed up to teach knitting classes at the beginning of February, but as of yesterday no one was signed up. It's a little disheartening. I have quite a few people at the tutoring center where I work interested in learning how to knit, so I might just say, 'Hey, next Saturday, let's hang out!'

I started making a cupcake yesterday. There are just a few stitches and a finger-hole room enough to stuff it. The bottom is in Caron's Bone color, which is a beautiful light tan. The top is done in Plum Wine, by Caron as well. I used their Simply Soft yarn. It might be better to make in a yarn that is more stiff, but for now I'm trying out the pattern and I had those colors left over from a scarf I had crocheted for my sister.

Finally, my pig-nose nose warmers have been sitting on the shelf for ages. I'm so super excited about seeing the film Penelope that I created this fun little item to wear to the theater with my sister when we go. It was supposed to come out in August, but I read that the film company dropped it in favor of wanting to go in a more independent direction. It is supposed to be released in February. I am definately keeping my fingers crossed. Anyway, the nose warmers should be cute. Strange, maybe. But then, what is life without a little strangeness in it? I need to do two things before they are complete, and that is to put on ties, so that they will stay on our heads. Also, I have to use a little black yarn and embroider some nostrils on. Oh they will be all the rage! Maybe not, but they'll be silly as anything

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZoXv3hqUmM

Then maybe after I'm finished with all that, I can work on my skirt. We'll see!

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Before work:

Finished Icord, including binding off and tucking in edging. I rolled it in a two finger ball for storing, then dumped it back into a wooden bowl on the computer desk.

Finished both tie on cords for both pig nose nose warmers. Finished sewing in nostril holes for one nose warmer, and I am currently wearing it. Keeps the nose warm, and looks silly, too. Perfect.

Not enough time to grab fiber fill from mum's house before work. I will finish second nose warmer while at work, then stop by and flaunt in front of sister. I made two sizes, one small, one big. I like them both, so she'll have to decide.

No time for skirt. Maybe later this evening.

Vexed No More

By happy accident, I fixed my mistake while taking back just a small part of that last row. I thought to myself, did I only do 3 of the 4 yarn overs? Then I knit up those last 9 stitches, recounted, and low and behold I had the right number of stitches!

I knew it had to be one of those pesky yarn overs. Darn them, but I think it would be a bit difficult to make lace without them. Oh well, just 5 rows left and I am done with them on this project. And thank goodness for that.

Cabled Cell Phone Cozy

I just finished the cutest blue cotton cell phone cozy. It was supposed to be for my dad, since he recently got a new cell phone, but I think he would take one look at it and think that it is way too cute for a guy to use. Plus, it may be a bit big to fit into his pant's pocket.

I might try stitching one with some fabric, though I don't have any at the house at the moment and I would really hate to go buy anything. I suppose I'll wait and grab some scraps from my mom's house. I'm pretty sure there is some faux leather in the scrap drawer from when my sister sewed a beastly looking opposum for what I believe was a Girl Scout project, but I might be wrong.

I am happy that I was able to start on my skirt project again, although I must admit that my happiness has been in vain. I'm still working in the lace section and I decided to turn on Pride and Prejudice. I might not have been paying quite enough attention as I should have, since I have ended up one stitch too short for the past three rows at least. It is very trying and the light in here at the moment is very bad, so it makes it all that much harder to see where I skipped a stitch. I am hoping that in pulling back this next row that I will find I only missed one of the yarn overs. Otherwise, I may be doomed. In other words, I may give up entirely, frog this piece of lace, and start over again, when I only really have this one set of eight rows left before I am clear and free to knit, knit, knit.

We'll see how that goes.