Meet Moby

Let's not talk about socks today.  Let's talk about this post I put up a while ago.  Remember this thingy?

I finished him!

I wanted to make a stuffed animal, because I haven't made one in a long time.  I used the leftover's from Dan's hat that I made last year (which is also an original pattern that I never wrote up...)  I'm calling him Moby the Whale.

Here's a picture of Moby playing in the leaves.

My plan is to publish this pattern, but I'd really like some test knitters.  If you're interested, leave a comment or email me (my address is on the sidebar) and I'll send you the rough draft of the pattern! I would like to have at least 6 testers.

Please spread the word if you know anyone that likes to knit toys.  The pattern uses size 5 dpns or circular needles and calls for worsted weight yarn such as Cascade 220, Caron Simply soft, or red heart. Skill needed include: knitting in the round, sewing seams, and picking up stitches.

Thanks in advance!

Some pretty photos from Rhinebeck

I figured for the sake dof having posts obsessively labeled, I'd do a separate picture of my favorite pictures that I took last weekend.  So, here it is! Hope you like them.

Sunset over the Hudson at Dinner with my Mom and Ash

Sheep dog Demo

The three sheep from the sheep dog demo, huddled together and looking hustled.

A wall of Penny rugs - these are a recent obsession of mine.

A photo of the view from Vanderbilt Mansion on Sunday, when my mom and I had a breakfast picnic.

Random photo of my feet.  Remember when I used to do this kind of photo all the time? 

Interesting grapey things

I fell in love with this sheep. I think his name was Nemo.  He let me pet him!

Tree at Vanderbilt Mansion

Leaf on the ground at Vanderbilt Mansion

(I think that you can click any picture to see it in it's full glory on Flickr.)

Rhinebeck Recap 2013

I was lucky enough to be able to meet up with my mom and Ash this year and go to Rhinebeck! My mom is a travelling nurse, and she's staying in Hyde Park... so naturally we said "Hey, mooooomm... would you mind letting us stay in your apartment and doing nothing but talk about knitting for the weekend?" And, weirdly enough, she said yes!

So, Ash and I met up on Friday, ate dinner, and we blocked our Rhinebeck projects out on my mom's carpet while watching really bad horror.

 

Then, on Saturday, we realized neither of us had a yarn needle, so we ended up kitchnering the armpits of her sweater and weaving in the ends with a bobby pin.  I felt the most clever I had ever been, and she took this picture of my hands that "look like the light of god is shining down on you." Not my words!

So, we perused all the crafts and yarn and demos, and I didn't really see anyone famous, sadly.  The past few times, I've seen someone that I've known online (whose blog I follow) but have been too shy to say hello.  I don't want to be a creep! I did meet some lovely sheep though.

I spent more money this weekend then I have any month this year on personal stuff.  I feel almost ashamed! In addition to yarn, I bought:

1.) A 2013 tote bag

2.) A basket (I'll use it for other stuff besides knitting!!)

3.) Boy scout popcorn

4.) A hat that my mom and Ash said looked cute on me

5.) 2 project bags

6.) A bouquet of sweet annie, whatever that is - it smells so good!

7.) 3 magazines

Ash and I also started on some socks.  There was a booth that was winding yarn into skeins for a fee - it was awesome! 

And I managed to finish the toe - it's Rainbow by Steam Valley Fiber.  Here's a closeup:

Have you ever been to Rhinebeck? What did you get? Did you go this year? If you did, why didn't we meet up!? I'll kick myself :)

I. AM. AN. IDIOT! (The reprise)

Sock toes were finished out, nice and even.  I laid them out to admire my handiwork, and I felt something was wrong.  It wasn't like when I tried them on before.  No, this was much, much deeper.

I was taking the photos, and the thought surfaced in my head like a sunrise.

Wrong sock.

Wrong sock.

It was like the big reveal of a thriller, where scenes flash really fast across the screen and you in the theatre seat realize it as the leading actor's jaw drops. Picture some voice echoing here.

Wrong wrong wrong wrong sock sock sock sock

Guys.

I cut the wrong sock.

Should I be laughing or crying? Dan laughed at me.

I took this picture but it sums up how I feel pretty well.  I think these things are going to sit in the knitting basket for a bit.

I. Am. An. Idiot.

The pattern said repeat the decrease rounds to 12 stitches.  12 stitches total, not 12 on each needle! I bound off and weaved in anyway.

These socks are starting to remind me of the Pareto Law.  The last 10% of them is taking up 90% of the efforts. I guess you could say I got finish line fever - in a bad way.  I was just thinking "Ohmygosh, I'm done! I'm so close to being done!" I didn't actually read the pattern. 

So I'm hitting myself, and getting out my scissors again.

It's here!

My kit arrived today!

But now I have to get myself in gear and finish that sweater... because I said I would.

"Why is there always enough time to to do it over, but never enough time to do it right?"

Someone at my work has a bumper sticker with that saying stuck to his work station.  It's true, though!  I finished my Pomatomus socks last night while playing Dungeons and Dragons:

When I tried them on, I said "Hmm.  They don't feel right."  And they don't! I couldn't place it.  Everyone looked at me rather weirdly - I play with Dan and 3 other dudes, all of whom usually drink while they play, and none of whom have ever knit.  But as I sat in my chair wearing my socks, I thought about how they didn't feel right.  My other pair - lost to time or left at my mom's house, I can't remember which - fit really well.  Perfectly.  But these felt odd somehow.

As we battled a pack of ghouls summoned by an evil pirate whose treasure we had stolen, I realized what it was.  It was just one sock, the one that I had finished before.  We had a pie break, and I took a while to look at them.

Can you see it? My most recent sock's foot was half a pattern repeat longer than the last one!

I had already woven in the end of my other sock, so I took the scissors and closed my eyes and cut the tip of the toe off, and unraveled it.

Now my FO is an unF'dO.  But, I'd rather take the time to fix the mistake than walk around with one sock just a little too tight!

(Also - you can picture the look of horror on everyone's faces when I started cutting the sock up.  "Haven't you been working on that since spring!?" They couldn't fathom why I'd cut up and tear apart something I had been working on every week for such a long time.)

My Fall Hike - Look at All the Pretty Photos!

Okay, so this post contains absolutely no knitting.  I just figured I'd share photos from my last weekend adventure - I hiked Mt Chocura with my boyfriend and some people from work.  It was AWESOME!

I made a jump, so that people that read my blog from feeds aren't annoyed by the oodles of photos, so, here you go:

Giving In

Ever just have a bad day? I had a bad day yesterday. I got really sick at work, went home and slept all afternoon.  It was horrible!

Before Dan came home, I got up and said "You know what? I'm going to live my life to the fullest. I'm not going to put off stuff because I'm ridiculously busy! I'm going to work better at scheduling knitting time, and friend time, and just regular time doing regular things, because this isn't working."

So apparently that translates to "I'm going to buy stuff that I want online," because not five minutes later I was faced with this.

I told myself, though, no starting it when it arrives unless my sweater is finished! (HAR.) I will only allow myself one BIG knitting project at a time...  I think that's a good recipe for sanity.