My knitting needles and I have a love/hate relationship at the moment.  I have three sweaters in progress and many little projects that I tote around with me, squeezing in knitting wherever I can.  Having no electricity for 8 days didn't stop the knitting - you certainly don't need power for that.  I want to knit so badly, but sadly my wrist/elbow/tendinitis just don't want me to make loops with sticks and yarn.  My body is betraying me and I don't like it one bit.

For awhile I was doing just fine, knitting in moderation.  It was going overboard that did me in.  I think Kate's new hat is the culprit.  I was a woman obsessed.  I went to the yarn store one afternoon and by the next afternoon, I had finished it.  That was knitting only in daylight hours.  And this was try number two.  The first one wasn't working for me - cute, but not exactly what I wanted.  So I started over.

I didn't use a pattern, per se.  Kristin, the owner of my lys, printed out the fair isle chart from this hat project at the Purl Bee.  I cast on 88 stitches in worsted weight yarn, using a size 8 needle.  My gauge is 4.5 sts per inch in the fairisle part.  The colors are all Nashua Creative Focus, which I had in my stash.  The gray is Lamb's Pride Worsted which I bought because it is the perfect match for Kate's new winter coat.  I knit 7 rounds of k2, p2 rib and then changed to stockinette stitch for 7 rounds.  I worked the chart and then worked 2 more rounds of st st in the green.  I started decreasing by k6, k2tog across the next round.  Then I knit one round and followed it by the next decrease, k5, k2tog.  I kept alternating the decrease round with a knit round until k1, k2tog.  After that one, I just kept k2 tog until I had about 9 stitches to pull my yarn tail through.  I added a little braid and a pom pon and that was that.

My fair isle is a bit sloppy in parts - could it be the two different yarns?  Regardless, the photos really don't do it justice.  I'm not sure why I thought putting a 6 year old in her winter coat and wool hat in 85 degree weather would work for a photo shoot.  Really.  What was I thinking?  I had about 3 minutes before the meltdown started.  Oh well.  She'll be happy come winter.

And me?  Well, I'm calling the physical therapist again.  And I am searching for an acupuncturist, too.  I need my body to work with my mind, not against it.  Just think of how productive I could be then.

I couldn't help myself.  I started another sweater and I bought a pattern and some fabric for a new bag. 

I have good reason:  this sweater is too hard to knit on the go and this bag has a big tear. 

Did I mention how good I am at justifying?  Very good.

You all are the best.  And wine with some Project Runway and no knitting is pretty good too.  I got up this morning and attacked the yoke again.  I am three rows in and so far so good.  It probably helped that the house was empty and I was able to talk to myself the entire time....you know counting my stitches out loud, telling myself to put 2 on the cable needle to the back, etc.  I'll try to add a few rows each day and maybe by the time it gets cold, I will actually be able to finish it.

I did manage to finish some sewn items.  First up, I re-did my square for the Virtual Quilting Bee.

I had all kinds of different red prints pulled out for the center square and really couldn't decide which one to go with so on a whim, I used this green one.  Pretty much perfect if you ask me.

I finished my orange quilt top.  I haven't decided what I want to do on the back so for now, it's sitting folded on the table.  I keep looking at it, but nothing seems just right.  I'll figure it out eventually.

Happy weekend people.  I can't tell you how happy I am that it is Friday.  Enjoy!

I can't tell you how many f-bombs flew from my mouth today.  I lost count after the first thirty.  Seriously, there is a reason that this sweater is called the tangled yoke.

I have spent about five hours trying to master the first four rows of the cable pattern.  Tangling the yoke and then untangling the yoke.  I finally gave up and ripped back to the decrease row.  My mind is numb and my wrist hurts so I think I am going to crawl on to the couch tonight, wine in hand, bundled in my quilt and watch some Project Runway on Tivo.  Then maybe, just maybe, I will attack this sucker again tomorrow.

Maybe.

Hmmm....I kind of disappeared there, didn't I?

I don't really have much to report.  It's been a busy week - the kind where I seem to have lost a huge chunk of time, but don't have anything to show for it.

I started knitting this sock in the Portland airport on Monday.  I got all the way to the heel and put it down.  I would really like to finish it this weekend, but my wrist is giving me issues.  Remind me not to go bowling without the brace, ok?  My family was in town and we had a lot of fun at the bowling alley, but I am paying for it now.  I have figured out that time is the best medicine I can give my wrist when it is hurting so probably no knitting for awhile.

School starts on Wednesday and there are lots of little errands and tasks to accomplish.  We've got uniforms to alter, shoes to buy, supplies to label and on and on and on.  I'll check in sometime next week.  Until then, have fun!

Yes, I am knitting!  Knitting!  And my wrist is feeling OK.  Not great, but OK.  The first tangled yoke sleeve is on the needles.  I am much further along than in this photo - I am finished with the garter rib, well into the stockinette stitch.  3 more increases to go.  So far so good.  The bonus:  there is a yarn store in Telluride!  I haven't been in yet - just drove by this morning.  I plan on checking it out later today.  Good thing I saw it, too.  I forgot my cable needle at home.

The girls are off on their overnight camp out and in a few minutes I am off to the airport to pick up Fatty.  He's here for the weekend so if I disappear until next week, you'll know I am busy hiking and hanging out with my best friend.  Ta ta for now!

I spent most of the weekend sewing, but I don't have anything to show for it.  All of the projects are in different stages of "not yet finished."  I have myself to blame for this:  running out of thread seems to be a specialty of mine.  And now, I can add math miscalculations to the list as I cut a two and a half yard piece of batting in to a completely unusable mess along with squaring a full size sheet incorrectly.  Yikes.  I think I might start chanting, "Measure twice, cut once" but I am not sure it would help.

The good news is that there are a few things making my heart race lately.  The first is Sarah's latest gocco swap.  Oh boy!  I love me some good looking notes.  See the button on the right side bar?  Click it and sign up.  You know you want to.

Second is Pam's February Lady Sweater.  Seriously.  I have spent a couple weeks deciding if I love this so much because it is the most perfect shade of green or because I really like the sweater.  Turns out, I think it is both.  So now I am on the hunt for the most perfect yarn in the most perfect green.  You know, so I can knit the most perfect sweater.  Preferably wool - suggestions?  I won't start it for awhile - the wrist, you know.  But the girls and I are headed to my favorite place at the end of the week (another thing making my heart rate rise) and the tangled yoke is coming along.  It is the only crafty thing I'm bringing.  That will be either disastrous or genius (the wrist,  you know).  Only time will tell.

Finally, Blair sent Emily, Tracy and I our new assignment.  (As an aside, can I just say how happy I am that Blair is back at the blog thing?  So very happy - I really missed her words).  I pulled out the dictionary - man, oh man!  There are lots of choices with this word.

Cover.  Noun and verb.  My initial thoughts surprised even me.  Wordplay is so fun - it gets me thinking in so many different ways.

Enough for a Monday morning.  Back tomorrow with quilt news.

Helen is a bunny who likes a bit of an adventure.

On Tuesday, she put on her shoes

and her favorite pink sweater and headed out for new lands.  Arizona is far away, but she knows that her new friend, Mary, is waiting for her.

After they play for a long time, Helen thinks she'll be ready for a nap.  It's a good thing she packed her pillow and quilt.

Sweet dreams Helen.  We will miss you.

Helen is from wee wonderfuls put-together book 1.  Her sweater is also a wee wonderfuls pattern.  The doll quilt and pillow were made by me without a pattern.  Making Helen and her things was so much fun for me.  Thanks so much for swapping with us, Jen and Mary.  We love everything you sent!

Click on the photo to see the great things we got!  They also sent us two great books, but Kate has hidden them somewhere.  Most likely, they are in her bed.

Happy leap day everyone!