I took my new sweater from Anthropologie into my local yarn store to measure it up against the pattern for the tangled yoke cardigan from Interweave Knits, which is my big knitting project of the fall.  While there, I cast on knee sock number two

...and bought more yarn to knit this.  Yarn, like fabric, is a disease.

When school started, I was all set to start knitting my knee socks.  Wouldn't you know I couldn't find my size 1 double points?  Hmmm....Then it hit me.  I still hadn't finished Jane's socks.  For a split second, I thought about buying a second set, but then thought better and started knitting her socks again.

To be fair, the first sock was about two-thirds finished.  Now I realize it was a good thing I didn't finish them back in the spring.  It's no secret that my two little girls are very close to the same size.  Jane, who is two years older, wears one size bigger than Kate in everything, including shoes.  She must have had a big growth spurt this summer because the foot portion of her sock ended up being about two inches longer than Kate's.  And Kate's socks....kind of small now.  Lesson learned.  No kid sock knitting in the spring.

I was sweating it a bit, but thankfully there was just enough yarn to knit them both.  When I cast off, I had four and half yards of yarn left.  Phew - that was close.  I used this pattern - easy to follow and very simple.  The yarn is Claudia's Hand Painted, fingerling weight, Red Wagon colorway (as best I can tell from the website - I lost the tag!).

I chose the On Your Toes pattern from the summer issue of Interweave Knits for my knee socks.  Thanks to lots of tips from Leslie, I am knitting right along.... on the airplane earlier this week, at the doctor's office yesterday (sinus infection - ugh!), in front of the TV at night and, of course, every day in the carpool line.

Happy weekend folks!

Thanks for all the anniversary wishes!  I wish I could report that Fatty and I had a nice night out, but, alas, I am in Colorado and he was in Chicago.  He is joining the girls and me here on Wednesday and my parents have generously offered to babysit, so we can go have a nice dinner together.  Hooray!

I need a change of pace so I put the crochet hook down and picked up the knitting needles.  I wanted to knit Elisa's Nest Tote that I saw on the Purl Bee.  It's cute, it looked quite simple and the pattern said that it takes a few hours.  Perfect for vacation knitting.  I cast on the 41 stitches and started.

Oh, Elisa's Nest Tote, why do you taunt me so?  This is try number two.  The first go didn't work out so well.  I like knitting fast and I have a tendency to drop stitches.  Not good when you are knitting lace.  I can never figure out how to put the yarn back on the needle with all those decreases and yarn overs.  So, I frogged number one.  I got 20 inches into number two and then realized I only had 38 stitches on the needle....wonder what happened to the other 3?  I painstakingly took out about 8 rows over the course of 40 minutes and counted 39 stitches.  Still missing two, I frogged again.

I cast on again last night.  The plan:  knit and watch movies, enjoy some down time while the girls are at camp.  They say the third try is the charm.  I sure hope so.

Before I left home, the most gorgeous yarn appeared in my mailbox thanks to the lovely Aprill.

I think I am in love.  Well, as much as you can be in love with yarn.  I couldn't stop looking at it or touching it.  So so so pretty.  I thought about bringing it to Colorado with me, but I was too afraid it would get lost or some other horrible thing would happen.  So it is sitting at home, on the family room shelf waiting for me to return.

I know what I am going to knit with it.  The colors match this bolt of fabric perfectly.  I am just hoping that my hands can construct what my brain has designed.

Thank you Aprill!  I can't wait to get it on the needles.

Happy Fourth of July!
Completely unpatriotic post to follow as we haven't done any celebrating yet.  Hopefully I will have some photos to share tomorrow.

Projects::Knitting and Color week::Yellow

Remember this?  Well, it is a knitted purse for a friend lined in vintage fabric that I received from Hannah.

I used the leftover yarn to make this little clutch for Cristina and our moo card swap.

The clutch was supposed to be a zippered pouch.

I sat down one afternoon while hanging out with my friend Jodi and knit up a cabled rectangle.  I made it up as I went along so I am not sure if I can recreate it or not.  Anyhow, fast forward to the part where I want to line the pouch and put in the zipper.  Um, big problem.  I didn't think that to line it and put in a zipper, the knitted piece would need to be two pieces instead of one.  I tried it anyhow - I made a double lining and put the zipper in.  Crap, I tell you!  I ripped the zipper out and tore the lining apart and threw it to the side.  Then it hit me - a flap!  I grabbed the needles, picked up some stitches and knit the flap complete with button hole.  I finished it up by reworking the half of the original lining and hand sewing it in.  And you know what?  I like much more than I would have liked the zippered version.   Cristina likes it, too - phew!

Hope you have a nice holiday!

I had a crazy busy day yesterday - the kind where you barely have time to eat.  Swim team practice, swim lessons, errands, sewing for deadlines, rush to the post office, shower, hair cuts for me and the girls...hectic, but in a good way.  So here is part one of my mail post, just a day later.

Kirsty is a gem.  I saw a photo of some plastic belt buckles that she thrifted over on flickr and wouldn't you know, she sent me the ones I like.

She also sent the fabric they are sitting on - so charming and well, green.  You know I love my greens.  These goodies have been in the house for awhile now and I have been remiss not to thank her sooner.  Thank you Kirsty!  I love them!  Some little things should be showing up for you soon.

Cristina and I had a little moo card swap.

She sent me an aqua tray cloth with beautiful edging.  I now have two aqua tray cloths, the other one from Kirsty.  Coincidence?  Hmmm.....one more and I'll have a collection.  There were the adorable moo cards with her gorgeous photos and some vintage sheeting scraps, too.  Perfect!  I have just the project in mind for these.  Thank you Cristina!  I adore what you sent - it really couldn't have been any better!

I sent Cristina a little something along with my moo cards.  There is a big story behind it so it'll have to wait for another day.  As will the other goodies I have received lately.  I told you - lucky me.

Thanks for all the advice concerning Jane and her fashion sensibilities.  I have come to the conclusion that I am finished sewing for her until she asks for something.  And then I will think long and hard about it before I cut any fabric.  For me, the hardest thing is the hurt feelings.  I know I shouldn't take it personally, but I do.  The whole thing makes me sad.

I've been knitting a bit at night.  Traditionally, I don't like to knit during the hot summer months, but for whatever reason, this feels right.  This project is a gift so it'll be awhile before I can share the finished product.  I love the bright yellow yarn.  I don't love the yellow fuzzies it leaves all over my couch.

I am signing off for the weekend.  A bit early, I know, but we have good friends coming to visit and I have stuff to get done.  Until Monday...take care.

I don't have much today.  I am making progress on the Clementine Shawlette and the first of Jane's socks.  That's about all the crafting I have done.  I took a trip to the fabric store and bought nothing.  Spent some time browsing the yarn store and bought nothing.  Mailorder arrived.  So did my necklace from Mood Swing.  It is wonderful.  Really, really wonderful.  Looking forward to a family dinner and some sewing tomorrow.

All in all, not bad for a hump day.