Yarn is pretty…pretty addictive.

I may have a bit of a problem–is it still considered destashing if for every hank of yarn you sell, you buy more?

 

 

 

Twists and Turns

We’ve all got ‘em.

But, do we all have them in a cabled shrug that is so awesome you can’t stop knitting it?

I do, I do!

I am in love with Entrechat by the Knitting Kninja.  Seriously, if you knit, when the pattern is released, buy it.  It is a fun, quick knit that looks so much more complicated than it actually is.  And knit in Malabrigo Chunky, it is the softest thing in the world…heavenly.

I love the twists and turns of the cables across the back and down my arms.  I feel like a talented knitter.

I need to pick up stitches for the ribbing, but hope to get completed pictures up soon.

Here’s a sneak peak!

 

Whew!

I cannot believe that it is almost the end of October.  It was a crazy month–visitors, tons of writing and knitting, ballet and swimming classes for the girls, lia sophia parties, and now, Halloween.  It’s no wonder we’re ending the month a bit under the weather, what with all we’ve done.  Erica had a cough, which she promptly gave to me, and it mutated into a fevered variation by the time Samantha caught it.  Sigh.

But, November is going to bring with it a whole new set of excitement–and hopefully, a healthy household to go along with it.  I have SIX lia sophia parties this month, which is awesome.  I have a monetary goal in mind that may be a bit ambitious, but I’m hoping it works out.  Cross your fingers! 

Not only that, but we’ll still have ballet lessons for Samantha and swimming classes for Erica. They are both just too cute!

We’re also planning on a few fun activities for Thanksgiving week–our first Thanksgiving in the states since 2005!  It’ll be weird to be surrounded by people who actually celebrate this holiday!  Of course, we’ll miss our traditions–inviting our British neighbors over, the girls having school in the morning, and picking up the fresh turkey from the butcher (and running any additional errands) that day because everything is still open.  But, we’re excited to be surrounded by family.

It’s going to be another fast month…isn’t it?

And on that note, take a look at how big baby Jessica is getting!

 

The Sun in Shining

My low is starting to fade, and the sun is shining both inside and outside of our house a bit more.  Maybe I’ll blame pregnancy hormones, and try to remain positive.  If I worry about the downs, it will only make them worse.

And while the sun is shining, there’s been knitting.  Oh boy, has there been knitting.  Not so much cleaning (hah!) but knitting.  In fact, I’ve completed 16 projects for the October Malabrigo Junkies Stockpile.  I’ll almost be glad for Sunday to roll around, because I’ve felt compelled to keep working on one skein projects!  Entrechat has hit the back burner, and instead, I’ve knitted up these (and this is just a sampling)…

Whew!  Then, when the stockpile is over I’ve promised myself to work on Dad’s Christmas vest (you know…from last Christmas), my Brilliance Pullover (hibernating since the move) and to finish the Entrechat shrug test knit.

At least I haven’t lost the will to knit!

 

Snobs (Me) and Husbands (Him)

So, I posted on Sunday about how I sent Marcus out on a mission.  He was headed to Trader Joe’s, which was right next to Joanne’s.  I desperately needed (wanted) the correct size needles so that I could re-start Entrechat.

So, I sent him into the store with a note detailing exactly what he needed.  He was to give it to a salesperson and ask for help.

Well…he came home with one set of the desired two sets of needles.  He explained that they didn’t have the one size (no surprise) so he bought the other size.

I was pleasantly surprised to hear this.  Until, that is, I looked at them.

They are these hideous Boye plastic needles…like old ladies and toddlers knit with.  Straight, too, which will work but aren’t my preference.  I am a needle snob, as well as a yarn snob.

I sighed.  And then it struck me.

“Marcus,” I said.  “Did the lady at the store help you with these?”

He paused.  “No.  They had just opened and everyone was busy.”

It all starts to make sense.

“Gosh, I’m really surprised that they didn’t have any circulars in the size I needed.  Or any US 10.5 (6.5 mm). “

“You didn’t say you wanted mm sized needles.  You wrote US.  So that’s what I got.”

“Marcus, did they have needles that were only sized in mm?  Usually needles list both sizes, and I just wrote the US size since I had the pattern in front of me.”

“I wasn’t about to get things that weren’t on the list.”

Sigh.

I suppose I should be thankful he went at all…after all, not all husbands would have.  I just shouldn’t be surprised with the results.  Plastic straight needles in one of the two sizes I needed (and apparently, the only ones in the store that were only sized in US sizes).

 

Knitterly Denial

I’ve got it.

There is almost no way that I can continue to knit Entrechat on US 10 needles.  I am getting 14 stitches to 4 inches, when I need to get 11 stitches.  That is going to be way too small, even after blocking.

Yet I am still knitting it.  Yep, it’s knitterly denial.

I have sent Marcus to Joanne’s with a note for a salesperson.  It reads:

US 10.5 circular or straight needles

US 11 circular or straight needles

24 inch cord or longer preferred

Please help this man!

He is under instructions to find help and show them this note.

We’ll see what happens.

 

Challenged

It’s the Malabrigo Junkies October Stockpile, which means lots and lots of knitting.  So far, I’ve knit and completed 10 one-skein projects, most for the girls, babies, and some earmarked as Christmas gifts (though I’ve decided not to do big Christmas knitting this year, overall).

My one-skein mojo is winding down midway through the month, but I have another pretty exciting knitting challenge coming my way.  I’m getting ready to cast on for a test knit of Knitting Kninja’s Entrechat (sneak peak here).  I am VERY excited, but also very nervous!  This is my first major cabled project since Arwen (did you shudder?  I did) and I’ve never followed two cable charts!

Still, I’m super excited.  With so many simple one skein projects lately, this seems to be calling out to me to cast on.  I’ve got 4.25 skeins of Malabrigo Chunky, Paris Night to work with.

Now if I could just decide what size to knit…

 

The Sniffles.

The sniffles…the girls have them.  Poor things.  Luckily, I have (miraculously) wound up with two girls who handle getting sick pretty well, and they are simply getting on with life and ignoring their colds.  I am fairly certain that they did not get this from me.

Of course, Marcus and I have them too–not from a cold or the weather, but because Anne and Phil’s time with us is up.  They left yesterday for a few days in NYC before they’ll return to the UK on Saturday.  We are both really, really sad to see them go.  Marcus and I were talking last night about how we would have liked to have met them earlier on in our stay overseas…but of course, we can’t go back.

We had a great time while they were here though!  We took them to Deep Creek, where we hiked and generally just hung out and relaxed.  They saw downtown Annapolis as it prepared for the boat show.  They got to play with the girls (they’re exhausted now, by the way).  Anne and I knitted, and Marcus and Phil played video games.

And when they left, Marcus commented about how we’ll really have to try to get me out there next year…so at least that’s something.

Cheers, Anne and Phil!  We miss you already!

 

In Which I Concede Defeat

I should be clear–I was not, I repeat, NOT, bested by a garter rib sweater.  My knitting ability is (not to toot my own horn) too advanced for that.

By all measures, there was no reason that I couldn’t finish Marcus’ Big Brown Blob.  The knitting is will within my ability level.  There aren’t skills involved that I’m not familiar with or that seem daunting.  There is absolutely nothing that makes this sweater too hard for me.

And yet, here I sit, conceding defeat to an inanimate object.  Not only do I admit to being outsmarted, but I have ripped the sucker out and thrown it away.

Here’s why:

1)  I didn’t like the yarn.  I bought it so early in my knitting career that I just didn’t know any better.  And every time I knit with it, I hated it.  It wasn’t nice to knit with, and even Marcus admitted that it was going to be scratchy.  For the record, it was Knit Picks Wool of the Andes.

2)  I didn’t like the pattern.  There wasn’t anything wrong with the Saranac pattern, per se.  It was just a lot of garter ribbing and some long ass arms to knit for my husband, who needed the 50 inch chest sized sweater.

3)  I didn’t want to knit it anymore.

The last item is, of course, the most important.  It’s the one Anne pointed out to me when she arrived this week and I showed it to her, the body 3/4 of the way done and one sleeve completed.

So, she, in her infinite wisdom, reminded me that I don’t have to knit it.

And she’s right.  So, I’m not.

I pulled out the sweater and tossed it in the bin (why would I save yarn I hate in order to knit something else?).  I have the remaining skeins for sale on Ravelry.

And I’m a much happier knitter.

 

In Threes

Ahh…the In Threes baby cardigan is finally out to test knitters, and if I do say so myself, I’m super pleased.  After four samples, I finally put together something I’m really proud of!

The pattern should release officially later this month after I get some feedback from my test knitters, who are all rockstars!  Thanks to each of you that has offered to help!