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Tuesday, December 31, 2002
 
Yay, the seaman's scarf is finished!


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woooo! I just frogged 2 ufos: Rowan big wool hat & yellow alpaka socks.


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Oops, I was looking through my knitting basket and I found 2 more ufos for my list. I must confess that I also have a sleeveless cotton shell packed away somewhere with only the back finished, but I won't count that since I don't want to work on it until spring/summer.

Last night I was cruising along on the RH seaman's scarf and it's almost done. It was originally going to be for charity, but now I'm thinking that I might save it for a Christmas gift for next year. Does that make me a bad person?


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Monday, December 30, 2002
 
I just finished my second dishcloth and I'm starting to feel ready to do some "real knitting" again. I've decided that in honor of the new year I will list all of my wips and ufos on the left side of this page (hey, eight isn't bad at all)! I need to finish some of them up and frog anything that I'm never going to finish. I'm not counting all the pairs of socks that only have one sock done, and chemo caps don't really count either as they will be ongoing thru the end of February. I think I will get the list down to about four before I start anything new.

I finally got Knit It! today and I really like this issue--better than last year. Of course, I'm biased cuz I love cables.


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Sunday, December 29, 2002
 
Hmmph. I was home alone pretty much all day yesterday as DH went up to L.A. to see a friend. I really felt like I should be knitting but it just wasn't happening. I started 3 different things and then ripped them out. I was tired and not paying attention and kept making mistakes. Then in the evening I settled on a plain ol dishcloth using some pale yellow Bernat cotton tots. Love this yarn and especially the color. I'm going to try to make several of these to give as gifts next Christmas. Dear doggie is sick so I have to keep an eye on him and may even have to make him some special dinner tonight.


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Saturday, December 28, 2002
 
Well, I may not feel like knitting but I'm always up for shopping. Check out the huge sale at red bird knits.


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Friday, December 27, 2002
 
I don't want to knit. It's a very odd feeling. I'm sitting here watching stupid talk shows and I don't feel like working on any of my wips. I don't even feel like starting anything new. I'm looking at this large pile of stash that's sitting in my living room and thinking "oh geez". I don't feel like cross stitching either. Maybe I will take a nap or read a book. I guess sometimes you just need a break.


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Thursday, December 26, 2002
 
All of my knit presents were very well recieved. My sister called me back yesterday to tell me that she was wearing her new sweater and that it looked and fit fabulous. Now she is very picky so that's high praise indeed. She said now that my mom taught her to knit she can appreciate how much time and work must have gone into it! My grandmother really liked her socks and said she has worn a hole in the ones I made for her in woolease sport. That seems to be a trend and since most of my relatives like to wear the socks I make for them as slipper socks, I have decided no more socks from woolease. MIL loved the lace scarf but of course the first thing out of her mouth was that she can't wait to see the look on her best friend's face (can your DIL make something this nice? LOL). DH's aunt loved the Homespun shawl and was touched that I noticed that she's always cold and always has a cardigan hanging off her shoulders. I told DH that his entire family shouldn't expect knit gifts every Christmas. He said no, not everyone, just my mom. LOL Good thing I like to knit. I told him he needs to buy me some more yarn then. Her bday is coming up in February and I am already planning some white cabled slipper socks.

I finished my Snowflake chunky hat and it's really cute. I will have to post a pic. I just used some bday money to order a bunch more in pale yellow for a sweater. It would be really soft and cuddly like a favorite sweatshirt. You know, cuz I don't have enough projects to work on.

Yesterday while in L.A. I started a pair of socks for my sister in Peace Fleece worsted. This yarn seems a lot heavier than worsted to me because I only had size 5 needles with me and I had to go down to casting on only 36 stitches (and the fabric is very dense). That's ok because they will be very warm and durable (and I'm told that the yarn softens up quite a bit with washing anyway).


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Wednesday, December 25, 2002
 
Merry Christmas! Life is good--DH is still sleeping, I am drinking some great coffee from a Christmas mug, and there's pecan pie in the oven. Later I will make my traditional brunch of eggs florentine, soy sausages, and sparkling apple cider. Then we will get in the car (with the dog) and drive to L.A. (about 2 hours).

OKC: Yesterday I received my sock calendar, which I love. I am going to start the January sock on the first of the year and it will be for me. My sister got me a gift certificate to the knitter so I will use that to buy more sock yarn for other patterns in the calendar. My mom loved her socks and my sister loved her sweater and her socks. Yesterday I started a hat with that Snowflake Chunky magic and I'm almost done with it. The yarn is kind of a pain to work with, but the result is really neat looking and soft.

Santa brought me a Timex GPS system for running--it tells you exactly how fast and how far you have gone. Cool!


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Tuesday, December 24, 2002
 
Here is a pic of MIL's scarf.


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Merry Christmas Eve! I am stuck at work, but since there's hardly anyone here I will probably take a half-day. I mean, they don't give us a Christmas bonus or a real Christmas party and then they expect us to work on Christmas Eve? Pullease!

Last night I finished sock #1 for my dad. These go quickly and the socks actually turn out pretty nice. I think I will have to make a pair for my sister too. I took a pic of MIL's lace scarf (which I will post later) and then I wrapped it. Pretty darn nice if I do say so myself. I'm trying to decide what I want to bring along to knit tomorrow when we go up to L.A. to see DH's family. Probably a sock.


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Monday, December 23, 2002
 
uggh..I really wish I was on vacation this week.

Ever since I finished my xmas knitting I've been sitting around uneasily wondering what I should work on. Nothing really calls to me. Then I decided to make my Dad a pair of socks. He is in Wisconsin and has been very ill lately. We don't have the best relationship, so I told DH this is "cheap therapy" for me. The socks are thick using 2 strands of Woolease.

I stopped at a LYS yesterday to pick up some dpns that I didn't have. I was the only one in there so the owner was watching my every move and asking me lots of questions, which was annoying ("what are you making?" "why don't you make an afghan?"). This particular store is so small that they don't have much yarn and what they do have isn't enough to make a whole sweater from (except for acrylic and baby yarn). I bought one skein of that Snowflake magic chunky stuff just cuz it's soft and cheery (pinks and purples) and will make a fun hat. Either for me or for a chemo cap.


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Sunday, December 22, 2002
 
Christmas knitting is done!! I finished the lace scarf, washed it, and it's blocking on the guest bed. I washed the woolease socks and they are wrapped and under the tree. Phew.

Now I am a little bit burnt out and I'm not sure what to knit next. I have several wips/ufos to work on, plus my grandmother's bday is coming up in January. Also, I have a good friend who just got her PhD in molecular biology and I have been planning to make something for her using the double helix cable pattern.

Last night I just decided to cast on a chemo cap. I found a cute cabled hat pattern at this site and I'm using some fairly soft white acrylic from Mary Maxim.

Oh! I got a package from Karen yesterday. She sent me her swift (she's getting a new one) and some pale yellow kid mohair. Isn't she a sweetie?


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Saturday, December 21, 2002
 
Today is a pretty good day. It's cool and rainy so I'm staying in, watching footbal with DH, and knitting. I really want to finish this lace scarf today or tomorrow so I can block it and have it ready to go on Wednesday. Yesterday I did finish 1 pocketbook slipper and cast on for the second one. They go really fast. Happy Knitting!


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Friday, December 20, 2002
 
Hallelujah--the woolease hiking socks are an FO. No pic cuz they are pretty boring, although I may post one this weekend anyway. Last night I started a pair of pocketbook slippers for my Grandmother who has been ill. I am using Plymouth Encore in red.

Well, Karen received her xmas presents already so I can show you what I made for her. Isn't this the cutest thing? The pattern is from the holiday issue of FCEK.


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Thursday, December 19, 2002
 
Speaking of stash enhancement--run, don't walk, to elann. They have laceweight cashemere on clearance. (yes, I just ordered some)!


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"Evil Ms. Stephanie, enhancer of stashes everywhere". That is my new name, courtesy of my friend Jen. :) She loves it when I post links to all the places I buy from and she would like me to do it more often. bwahahaha

Bea Ellis Knitwear rocks. I ordered that learn to knit kit from them yesterday and just added a comment that it was a gift so could they please not put an invoice in the package. They emailed me today telling me that they gift wrapped it and sent it priority mail to WI for no extra charge. They rock! So be sure to go to their website and spend lots and lots of money.

I stopped at Borders last night and picked up the new FCEK. The only things in there that I liked were one of the men's sweaters and the kids sweaters. I don't have any men or kids to knit sweaters for so into the magazine pile it goes.


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Wednesday, December 18, 2002
 
oooh, yippee! Look what I just ordered!


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Speaking of poor service, I just got an email from Patternworks saying they not longer carry that learn to knit kit. Umm, well, maybe they should take it off their website then? How annyoing. I just went and ordered it from beaellisknitwear. I just ordered a hat kit from them yesterday and they shipped it already. So poo on Patternworks.


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Last night I did some knitting on the lace scarf. As soon as I get tired I start making mistakes on the pattern row (D'OH) so I had to put it away at around 9pm. I brought the woolease sock to work so hopefully I will finish it up on my lunch hours. I am on the foot right now so there is light at the end of the tunnel!

Yesterday I received my Confetti sock yarn in the mail and I had to resist the urge to cast on immediately. This time I ordered some "neutral" colors for socks for my sister. The last order I placed was all kinds of crazy bright colors for me. I also received an order from the Wool Connection that I placed in October. They never even acknowledged my order or told me that it was back ordered or anything so I figured maybe they never got it. Gee, what wonderful service. I am wondering if I will return it, but of course it's yarn so why not keep it! What makes me mad is that part of the order was supposed to be a xmas gift for a knitting friend and I ended up having to buy her something else. grrr.


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Tuesday, December 17, 2002
 
Look what I just ordered and had sent to my sister in Wisconsin!! :)


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Last night I worked on something that's a Christmas present for someone who might read this blog, so I can't talk about it. I'll try to remember to post a pic after Christmas, though, because it rocks.

I can't believe it--my sister is going to learn to knit! I guess she is inspired by all the cool things I've been making her (or more likely--all the knit stuff at the Gap LOL). She is home for Christmas so they went to Ben Franklin and got some acrylic yarn and my mom is going to teach her. yippee!!!


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Monday, December 16, 2002
 
Noooo, I didn't finish the woolease sock this weekend. I know the suspense was killing you. I did finish my sister's hat, though, and I'm very pleased with it. Like I said before, I don't do fair isle that often, but when I do I'm always amazed at how neat it turns out. This is also the first time I did a hem and I think it looks cool. Here's a pic.


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Saturday, December 14, 2002
 
Last night I finished the gedifra gigante scarf. Ahem, shouldn't I be working on Christmas gifts?? Anyway, maybe I will post a pic later, but it's not that exciting anyway. I'm too lazy to do it at the moment as I haven't had any coffee yet this morning.

My goal is to at least finish the woolease hiking sock this weekend. There, I said it--now you all can hold me to it.


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Friday, December 13, 2002
 
TGIF. I'm so glad it's Friday so I can spend the entire weekend knitting and doing Christmas stuff. I got out our artificial tree but I still have to decorate it. I am taking a break from running because of shin splints.

Last night I alternated working on the fair isle hat, Gedifra scarf, and Woolease sock. Short attention span, apparently.

Have a good weekend!


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Thursday, December 12, 2002
 
Startitis. Yesterday I went stash shopping for yarn for a hat, mittens, and scarf for my sis. As the scarf is to be funky/colorful, I am doing a simple garter stitch with dark fuschia Gedifra Gigante (thick and thin bulky wool) on size 17 needles. It's about half done already. That's about the only gauge I can stand for a scarf otherwise it's so boring I will never finish it! Then I dug out some black Nature Spun worsted and some grey Paton's classic wool (love both of these yarns--and they're cheap!) to make the "Norwegian Star" hat from Hat's On! So far it's lots of fun. I find that I really like fair isle, but only in small pieces. I am too slow/clumsy to do a whole sweater. Someday I will get decent at continental so I can do two-handed knitting.


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Wednesday, December 11, 2002
 
I asked my sister if she needed any hats, mittens, etc. Here's what she wrote back: Oooohhhhhh yes!!!! Mittens and hat in dark grey are preferable, but black would also match my coat. A funky scarf would be nice, too. And socks. Okay, I guess I should have just said that anything would make me happy. I love handknit things. The greatest sister a knitter could ask for! :)


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Well, here I am awake at 3:37am drinking organic Northwest blackberry tea. I think I'm coming down with whatever it is that everyone has at work. I fell asleep at about 6:30 last night and awoke at 3am with chills. So now I'm up and I think I will do some computer stuff and then knit. I'm not sue if I will work up the motivation to run this morning or not.

Anyway, I got tons of goodies in the mail yesterday. GGH Aspen from knitpicks, patterns from thknittinggarden, and 2 books from Edward Hamilton (knitting books, of course). A Close-Knit family by Melissa Leapman and Poems of Color by Wendy Keele.


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Tuesday, December 10, 2002
 
Thanks to Theresa for pointing out the link to the speech given by President Jimmy Carter at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony today. Please go read it if you haven't done so already!


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Last night I started "Little Trees". I'm sorry, but sometimes I just love bulky yarn!! I'm using a size 10 needle and getting about 13 sts/4 in and it just works up so quickly. I started on the back, which I decided to do all in solid blue instead of with the intarsia/fair isle. I'm already done with the increases and I'm working toward the armhole shaping. It's too bad--I think this yarn is discontinued (Crystal Palace Carnival) because I really like it. I may have to snap up some more from One Fine Yarn if they have any. It's cheap, it's 100% wool, it's soft, and it works up fast. Oh, and it's about the same gauge as Rowan Polar so there are lots of cool patterns. I did my Rowan sweater coat with this yarn.

Today I am wearing this. I love it so much, but I hardly ever wear it. Actually, I hardly ever wear any of the things I knit for myself (except socks). It's like I'm saving them "for good" or something. Weird, I know.


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Monday, December 09, 2002
 
Happy Monday. I just had a soy cappuccino and a big lemon scone, so I'm feeling pretty good. LOL

Yesterday after I finished up my sister's sweater (yay) and washed my grandmother's socks, I just did some mindless knitting on my Manos shawl. It's neat, though, cuz I really like the yarn--the striations in color (dark red) and the thick and thin of the spinning. I also decided that I want to start the cardigan in the latest Rowan mag called "little trees". It has some intarsia and fair isle, but only along the bottom. I'm going to be doing it in Crystal Palace Carnival instead of Rowan Polar. I also decided that I just have to make another sweater in there--I forgot the name of it but it's in white kidsilk haze and it has pompoms. So cute for winter! So I ordered that yarn today from colourway along with one skein of their new yarn Calmer so I can try it out.


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Sunday, December 08, 2002
 
PICS! Here is my sister's sweater and here are my grandmother's socks! Yay!


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Well, let's see. Yesterday I swatched some Jaeger Odessa and realized that I hate it. It's a beautiful yarn, but a real PITA to work with. It has the yarn wrapped around a metallic thread, and as you work the yarn gets bunched up along the metallic thread. Back to the stash for you!! Then I got out my Dale Heilo and realized that one color is on backorder, and it's in the fair isle, so I couldn't even start that sweater if I wanted to. I will have to think on it some more.

I started sewing up my sister's sweater and did the collar. Hopefully I will finish that today.

I received the red striated Manos that I ordered and it's soo pretty! I started a simple garter stitch triangle shawl for me. It really shows off the striations in the yarn and it will be nice to have at work to throw on when it gets cold.


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Saturday, December 07, 2002
 
Lots to talk about today. First, did you see me in the knitty gallery? Yay! Second, check out Darilyn's new ad-free knitting bulletin board. I think you'll like it!

Good news--my grandmother's trekking socks are finally finished! Gee, I only started the first one in April. Now I just have to wash them and wrap them for xmas.

I ordered 4 more skeins of Lorna's Laces Worsted for socks from Bobbie at eweknitkits. She's a real sweetheart and has great service so do check her out, especially if you love sock yarn like I do.

So now that I have finished a few things I am dying to start a sweater for me. I guess I probably could and still finish up those last 2 presents without a problem. I want to make the red cardigan in _The Urban Knitter_ with my "ruby" Jaeger Odessa. The only problem is that it would be great for Christmas, but I probably won't have it done by then. I also want to make that sweater from the last IK from Dale Heilo--I got the yarn in. Hmmm....I'm sure I will start swatching today.

Oh! Yesterday I KIPed during a work meeting for the first time. It was a boring, 2-hour, mandatory safety meeting. I sat way in the back and the lights were out the whole time so nobody even noticed. Woohoo! :)


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Friday, December 06, 2002
 
Last night I ended up washing the pieces of my sister's sweater after all. I'm glad I did because some of the excess green dye came out in the water and the wool softened up some. It's blocking on the guest bed and hopefully it won't take too long to dry. If it does, I will just have to send her sweater to WI!!!

Yesterday I was talking to my mom in WI where it was about 5 or 10 degrees. I told her she should try to stay warm and put on the wool socks I knit her. She said that she already had them on!! She loves wearing them around the house instead of slippers (which she always used to wear) and she says she's going to wear them out. Well golly gee, we can't let that happen! I need to knit her some more socks!!! Now to get more Lorna's Laces worsted because that was perfect. Nice and thick, soft, and washable.


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Thursday, December 05, 2002
 
Go read the new issue of knitty!


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Hey! So far today the only person who has complimented my sweater is my boss, Mike!


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Hurrah! All the pieces of my sister's sweater are done. Now on to the finishing. I wanted to wash it and wet block it, but I'm running short on time and I think it will take too long to dry. I need to mail it out Sat or Mon so she will get it before she leaves for WI. So I think tonight I will steam block it, then I just have to sew it up and do the collar. Can you believe I am getting things done on time? I have quite a bit of Magpie left over so later I may make her a matching hat or mittens or something.

Today I am wearing Top Secret and I look pretty cute if I do say so myself!


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Wednesday, December 04, 2002
 
Well, I didn't do much knitting yesterday but I did do some shopping. Hey, we refinanced my car loan and saved some money, so of course I had to spend it on yarn! LOL Someone mentioned a new-to-me website, the knitting garden, so I had to check it out. I ordered a pattern for felted ballerina slippers, the newest Rebecca mag, and one of those Rebecca special edition patterns. Then I went to knitpicks and ordered some of that GGH Aspen that's dirt cheap.


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Tuesday, December 03, 2002
 
I had planned on finishing those darn sleeves last night but it just didn't work out that way. For some reason the thumb on my right hand was really hurting so I just gave up and watched Monday Night Football. I did cast on my confetti sock again--72 stitches on US 1s and I'm starting with a 3x3 rib. I'm not sure if I'll do the entire leg like that or switch to st st after an inch or 2. Ribbing actually fits a little better but it's a PITA!


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Monday, December 02, 2002
 
Well, I frogged my Confetti sock. I was all the way to the gusset and then decided that it was going to be just a bit too small for me. Apparently this yarn is finer than Regia or Opal because my usual 64 sts on US 1s was too small. I think I will have to go to 72 sts.

I also worked on the sleeves to my sisters magpie sweater. I finished the increases so now I just have to knit straight for about 2 1/2 more inches and then do the cap shaping. Maybe I will get it to her before she leaves for WI afterall!



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Sunday, December 01, 2002
 
Sunday. Today is my last day of vacation, but life is good. DH and I had a great day together yesterday as he actually didn't go in to work! I just now took a pan of cranberry-orange bubble bread out of the oven (recipe from Cooking Light mag) and there are good football games all day. I plan to lounge around, watch football, and knit. I started getting out my xmas decorations and I may do a bit more of that today. If I'm feeling really motivated I may start my xmas cards or gift wrapping.

Yesterday I ordered some Manos striated in red from Knit Picks. This is from my bday present from DH and I would like to make a shawl/wrap with it. I also ordered some more Confetti sock yarn from here, as she's having a sale where you get 12 balls for the price of 10 (and it's dirt cheap to begin with).


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