Slippers & Bags and a Month of Catchup!

Yikes! A month is a long time not to blog. I've missed it. I'll try to catch you up without typing a Charles Dickens length novel! 

I finished my Pleated Ballet Slippers. Pattern info here: Ravelry. In fact, I'm wearing them now and love them. What I love most about them is that I was able to use leftover yarn from an earflap hat I made in January. The yarn is Plymouth Encore Chunky Tweed. It's a great yarn to knit with and relatively inexpensive: $13 in yarn for two projects. What a deal!

Chunky Chula Hat by Plymouth Yarn Design. Info here: Ravelry.

And, since I used leftover yarn and the pattern was $7, the slippers were practically free. Or, so I told hubby. Gotta love knitter-economics!

Since we've last connected, I visited the city of St. Louis. Hubby and nephew ran the Rock n Roll Marathon there. St. Louis is a fun town and the weather was fantastic. Here are a few pictures:

6:50 a.m. Waiting for the race to start! 

Nephew Glenn at 13.1 miles. Looks like he's just out for a casual jog!

Hubby at the finish line. Beat his previous marathon time by 15 minutes!

Stumbled upon a Rams v Packers party in the hotel bar.

I started a new project on the way home from St. Louis. It's a 6 hour drive, so I had some knitting time. I'm making a market bag from sock yarn I inherited from my Grandma who passed about a year ago. 

Big Bang Market Bag. Pattern info here: Ravelry.

Speaking of bags, my 31 venture is going great. I am having much fun being a consultant. I'm meeting a lot of new friends, earning money, and carrying around fantastic bags. Check out the bag I bought to carry my projects. I mean as a 31 consultant I can no longer carry my WIP in Ziplocks bags, right? Disgraceful! Here's a picture of my upgrade:

Zipper Pouch. You can shop for this on my website: mythirtyone.com/toppen

I'm also earning free bags just for doing my job as a consultant. So far I've earned 5 free bags. Here's a picture of 2 of my favorites. I love the consultant exclusive plumb polka dot print!

Organizing Utility Tote & Retro Metro

Thirty-one gives back to the community and rewards its consultants generously with product. So happy I found a company like this to be a part of. Sorry for the preposition at the end of that sentence.

Okay enough 31 talk. Did I mention I love this company? Well, I better get knitting so I have something to type about sooner than a month's time. What's new with you? Run any marathons, actual or metaphorical? Finish any projects? Start any new business ventures? Holiday plans? I love reading and responding to your comments, so please type away! ~ Christina 

Who Me Speechless?

Well, I’ve been putting off writing this week because I feel like I’ve nothing to say. This will come as a surprise to those who know me personally, as you have at one time or another longed for a moment of silence in my presence I am sure. I’ll just let my fingers babble away at the keyboard and see if I can’t come up with something mildly interesting or at least a passable post.

I finished up a couple of projects this week. I made a baby earflap hat for my friend, Carrie, who is expecting. I’ve included a picture of the adorable baby on the pattern, as it is the baby who sold me on the pattern.

Here’s a picture of the adorable baby. Who could resist?

Since the sex of the soon-to-be owner of the hat is a surprise, I chose neutral pastel colors. The pattern is titled “Serendipity” and is by Brandy Fortune of Pixie Purls. It’s available for a few bucks on Ravelry, should you have an adorable baby in your life to knit one for. Note to my English teacher friends - I don’t like ending a sentence with a preposition, but it just seemed to work. The yarn is Chunky Mochi by Crystal Palace; it feels like I imagine one of those cotton/sheep-shaped clouds would feel like, if I could actually touch it. 

Here’s the hat I made. It will look much better on an adorable baby no doubt.

I also made a coca leaf bag for my friend, Julie, who wanted a little bag for her iphone and earbuds. As Julie so eloquently put it - she needed a low tech carrier for her high tech gadget. This little bag works perfectly. See my December 29, 2011 post or Ravelry if you want pattern details for this project. 

Here’s a picture of Julie’s bag, which looks a lot like mine only better as it’s my second go at it.

How many times, I wonder, will the library let me check out this pattern book before there is a note on my account directing me to Amazon? I’m on my 3rd check-out, all with renewals, of course. The library is a great source for patterns, by the way. I knit from library books if I only want a pattern or two and can finish them up before the due date. Being the angel I am, ahem, I never violate copyright law.

My Noro sweater is coming along nicely. 

Here's a picture of my sweater after its complimentary steam/spa treatment.

I steam-blocked it lightly, as the pattern called for the neck to be attached then sew the side seams. Once it’s finished, I’ll wet block it to bring out the best in the yarn and shape it. I do have the side seams completed. They are challenging as the sides increase in stitches every 8 or so rows. I have one seam that is decent and one that simply will not do. Ever the perfectionist, I’ll keep ripping out until I like what I see. Next, I’ll move on to sew the raglan sleeves, which are on a diagonal. Yikes! 

Well, for someone who thought she had nothing to say, I have managed to prattle on for about 550 words or so. I’m no Charles Dickens, but I think this will do. I'd love to hear about some of your projects - of the yarn variety or otherwise. ~ Christina

Gauge: a.k.a. a Lesson in Humility

I’ve been knitting like crazy lately and tackling projects that have both pushed the boundaries of my comfort zone and improved my skills as a knitter. All have turned out great. Like any proud parent, I post pictures of these projects on Facebook and show them to anyone who will look. All receive high praise and adulation from friends and family. Here’s just one:

So, with my puffed up chest and inflated sense of knitting self, I decided to embark on a new project: a pair of socks for a special aunt. I borrowed a pair from her this summer to keep my feet warm on an airplane ride from Florida to Michigan. How great it will be to return them with a hand knit pair. I text my uncle, who confirms her shoe size on the sly, and I’m off.

Isn’t this yarn great? It’s soft and fun, as well as machine washable. 

I pick a sock pattern I’ve knit 3 times before. I check the stitch count on the band and it matches the pattern. “Hooray! No need to check gauge,” I say to myself. So, I knit happily along, love the yarn, and can’t wait to surprise my aunt. And then, you knew this was coming right, a nagging doubt about size knocks on the door of my knitting cocoon. “The sock does seem a little big,” I think at one or two points along the way. But, then, I banish that pesky thought, reassure myself that her feet ARE 2 sizes bigger than mine, and carry on. After starting my toe decreases, I can’t stand it anymore and let the persistent doubt into my cocoon: I try on the sock.

It’s HUGE! 

I make my husband try on the sock. 

It’s still HUGE. 

I check my gauge.

Yep. Half an inch off. A sense of defeat bursts my knitting bubble, and I swear I hear the soft hissing sound that often accompanies any type of deflation. Hours of knitting down the drain. Seriously, I mean, I don’t know anyone with feet this big. I must rip! 

Lesson learned: Always check gauge! ;)

Humbly yours,

Christina