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What I’ve Been Up To
I’m in between job assignments until next Wednesday.
I’m still trying to figure out what I want to do in regards to work (i.e. what will I hate least). So, I’m in school with computer classes. I’m still planning on taking my Accounting CLEP and taking both computer and accounting next year.
In the midst of all this, my niece was born. We’re all obsessed. I’ve visited twice, and I think we are going to visit again this week-end. She definitely looks like our side of the family, in the first photos I saw she looked like Doctordiva, then when I saw her, I could see her daddy, my brother, but then I quickly decided she also looked dead like Travelgirl’s baby photos. We need to dig out all our baby photos to compare.
I’ve of course, made her some baby things. This was my first attempt at smocking; I’m now hooked, but since I don’t plan on only using gingham fabric, I’m planning on investing in a smocking machine. I found the elephant flannel on fabric.com and did a simple mitered corner hem. The blanket is simply “Old Shale” (this is NOT “Feather and Fan” although it is often incorrectly labeled so, even in print, I think). I’ve also helped stock her already burgeoning library with the darling Frances books by Russell Hoban and a Disney princess collection.
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Yarn Along and Crafting On Link Up
I linking up with Ginny’s Yarn Along and Nicole’s Crafting On.
I have, of course, more than one book going (and 2 more projects on the needles although I’ve been focusing on this one for awhile), but this was the prettiest arrangement. The blanket is Purl Soho’s Mosaic Blanket which is free and actually very simple. I think it is rather stunning.
Kristin Lavransatter is going to have to wait a bit while I finish or at least catch on up my local library’s summer reading program (they do one for adults and it is so fun this year) and the epidemics book.
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What I’ve Knit Recently
An Age of Brass and Steam Kerchief made with copper colored Knit Picks Diadem for a friend with an autumn birthday.
Matching baby and toddler knit dresses for the same friend’s little girls. I used a cardigan pattern as a loose guide, but I also was figuring things out as I went along (hence why the sleeves aren’t as striped; I didn’t want to have to end in the middle of a stripe or not on the third stripe; I should have calculated the stripe size based on the sleeve lengths). Eventually I want to do these patterns again and work out the issues and then I’ll post here and on Ravelry.
I knit this seed stitch scarf (I knit it long enough to be an infinity scarf and added buttonholes) ages ago and had it blocked and ready for when I could purchase the perfect buttons. I finally ordered these darling flowers (when you order, pick the “with hook” option and then make a note to seller that you would like the hooks on the bottom like shank buttons).
Baby blanket #1 (there will be at least 4 this year for 4 family babies!!!). I just made this pattern up; one square basket weave, one square garter, one square moss, and one square seed stitch. I already had this started and had my fingers crossed one of my cousins would have a boy, and sure enough.
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Yarn Along
I actually have 7 projects on the needles. I dread the casting on and counting, so I decided to cast on quite a few projects and put some aside for later. Shown above is a Katniss cowl for my sister.I am re-reading N.D. Wilson’s 100 Cupboards trilogy. I love them, and I have forgotten them enough to enjoy the re-read nicely. I also finished his newest novel, Outlaws of Time: The Legend of Sam Miracle, this week. My other recent reads include the rest of The Giver trilogy (I liked Messenger and Son best, Jonas is annoying when he is older) and several Patricia St. John stories.Oh, and I finally finished that baby blanket. I am thrilled to be done. I really need to plan size and time and pattern more carefully because this really burned me out, and I wasn’t pleased with it aesthetically, too boring and common.
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Yarn Along
I have not participated in one of these in forever; I am linking up here again.
I am working on this skirt in a cotton silk blend yarn. I am planning on lengthening it a couple inches. I am rereading Northanger Abbey; this is supposed to be a light distraction while I try to make my way through the Pickwick Papers.
Well, it is finally finished. I still do not have blocking boards, so I had to block it on a towel. It is still uneven, oh well. I am soooo glad it is done. It has kept me from starting new projects. I have more baby things to knit which I need to start soon, so they will be done before the babies arrive and so they will not take up all of my knitting energy.I also finished the lace neckerchief I was working on, but I do not want to post that until I can block it properly. -
Yarn Along
I am linking here again.
I am knitting a log cabin baby blanket. I love how it looks. Although I am still technically reading The Talisman Ring, I have most recently been reading Bleak House and hope to finish soon.
Here is the baby sweater I wanted to finish for Christmas Eve . . . I finished it New Year’s Day. I learned how to seam which was time consuming but fascinating in the way it turns out. I borrowed Natural Nursery Knits from the library and used this pattern out of it. The neck looks really small on mine, yikes. I would use the pattern again for a baby boy; I think it is really cute. And I think I would try more patterns from the book as well.
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Yarn Along
I still have not finished that pink sweater/top, but I did finish the baby blanket, and I think it is gorgeous, and the pattern is sooo simple.
Despite the fact that I have several uncompleted knitting projects, I started a new project: cuffs/finger-less gloves for my sister to match the beret which I made for her (I promised my three little sisters berets last year and have completed two thus far; I also decided to make finger-less gloves to match since the berets left so much yarn).
I just finished re-reading the Harry Potter series, and started re-reading Little Women. We re-watched the 1994 film version last night, and as I hated the horrid Mr. Bhaer part, I prepared this post during much of that section of the film. I hate that Jo and Laurie did not end up book and film, so this part is irritating period, but also I did not realize/remember how inappropriate the filmmakers made the Jo-Mr.Bhaer relationship, particularly in light of the time period. I didn’t end up watching much more of the movie after that point. After that sour ending we next watched another Alcott based film, The Inheritance, which is adorable.
The above is my current work
And here is the completed baby blanket
I want to go on and on about the movie and book, but that topic is best saved for another post.
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Yarn Along
I am again, after a long hiatus, joining in the yarn along here.
I have not finished one of my other yarn along projects nor many of my other knitting projects, but once again I started something new. It is a baby blanket for a baby due in June. I don’t know when the shower is (and did not even know there was going to be one when I started), so, to excuse myself, this project needed to be started.
The pattern is from ravelry here and is free of course. I chose only three, rather than four, colors and added an extra 24 stitches to the width, and it is still going to be narrow, but then I knit rather tight currently.
The book is Belinda by Maria Edgeworth. As our library’s Maria Edgeworth collection is rather small, I had to obtain it via interlibrary loan, and it came from another state (I find that rather exciting). I have read Castle Rackrent, Ennui, The Absentee, and Ormond. The latter two I have to write reviews (for the Classics Club) on I think, but the former two I read years ago. Ennui is hilarious, the best so far. Castle Rackrent was boring, and I don’t know if I understood everything. Edgeworth was Irish, although I think of the Anglo-Irish aristocracy, and from this rank she drew her subjects in the four I read. I need to pay attention to publication dates better for Belinda is set in London and is about English people and reads more like a Frances Burney novel (the three I read were published 5 to 23 years before Belinda) than like the previous Edgeworth novels I read although not quite so melodramatic as at least Cecilia and Camilla. I am reading the 1801 version I think or an early revision not the seriously revised 1810 version (which I think probably reflected the less decadent [than the Georgian standards] Regency standards and scruples). (I looked up the dates and except for Castle Rackrent the other Edgeworth novels I read were published 8-16 years after Belinda and contemporary to the Austen novels).
Anyway, enough on literature. Here are photos of the finished shrug:
