Temptation...it's a bad thing

Ok, so temptation is a baddddddddddd thing. I agree...but, this is knitting, and we have a term called wip's...right? And, I wouldn't be a knitter if I didn't have more than one wip. Right?And being a knitter, and having a brand new pair of needles (or two) sitting right here, staring me in the face, well, that would be temptation, right? And it would be wrong,,,,just wrong to not test drive them. RIGHT??????????

After all...the baby blanket is very close to finishing. See? It's just 'this close' to being finished.

Even though it's too small for the intended size, I'll have to remake another one afterwards anyway. So, it's ok to test drive the new needles, right? (I'm waiting for an "Amen" from the peanut gallery!)

And let me just say....I LOVE "EM!

Check it out...

Keeping in mind that I'm a total Addi convert. I loveeeeeeeee Addi Turbos. Ever since I tried them several years ago, I've not gone back. So when I heard these were going to be available I was very happy. But I wanted to see how they would compare to each other. These are both Addi's, both (US) 4's (3.5mm). The Addi Turbos (silver in color) are shorter (24")in cable length than the Addi Turbo Lace (gold in color)(32"). That means the needles are shorter by design from each other. Now with closer inspection the lace tips are longer and 'sharper' than the originals which are blunt. Working with the lace size 4's with a DK weight yarn, the stitches are 'tighter' in size and the needle just slips right into the stitch without any resistance.

Then, look how pliable the cable is. This is just sitting here on the keyboard with the natural curve from the top of the preemie sized sweater. It's also so very light weight! Not that the original Turbos are heavy, mind you, but these feel feather weight in my hands.

Yep, I'm sold! Now, I just wish they came in sizes larger than (US) 6 (4.0mm)!

Guess I'll never be totally satisfied.

What do you get when...

What do you get when you add this:

plus this:??????

Well, if you went to one of my local yarn shops this week...they would weight it (it came to 70#'s!!!!!!!!!!!!) and gave you a gift certificate for $1 per 1# of yarn donated to Stitches from the Heart, and then I ended up with and a happy heart!

Donating yarn for the seniors who knit with this charity cleaned out a 'part' of my garage, made my daughter happy, and gave me a chance to finally get two books from my wish list and now a chance to try the new addi lace needles.

I'm making myself finish up my current baby blanket before I cast on with the new needles.

This, my knitting friends, is not an easy task.

Just My Size KBB Preemie Baby Blanket

In another pattern installment I bring to you the next preemie sized baby blanket. I have used the KBB Baby Blanket as the original model and resized it down to a degree. This makes a 'solid' knit rather than a lacy knit blanket so little fingers won't poke through and get caught. I finished it last Saturday while my son was driving.

This particular blanket will end up in Michigan for a Memorial to a lady who has passed away from the AC4C yahoo group. The group is donating preemie and burial items to a hospital where she used to donate her charity knitting. The hospital just so happens to be the same one where Dad started his 2nd round of chemo and radiation treatments yesterday. Six weeks for him this go-round. Please help us pray and hold good thoughts for a better outcome than the last round of chemo. It's also the same hospital where my Mom had her radiation treatments for Breast cancer 5 years ago. She's a survivor! And we're determined to have Dad join her with that same title.

Today, the 'baby' of the family came home for her one week summer vacation! She'll be 20 on Monday! No more 'teens' at my house. And you know what? I'm OK with that! It's fun to watch them pay for car insurance, and school loans, and appreciate the ability to stretch a buck here and there. I love my kids, and for the next 7 days, they'll all be in the same time zone, zip code, and reachable to hug! That is if they're not too busy catching up with their friends!

Notes:
Sl 1 = Slip One
tbl= Through the back loop

Just My Size KBB Preemie Baby Blanket

© Cathy Waldie, May 6, 2007

(US) 8 (5.0mm) and (US) 9 (5.5 mm) 24” circular needles (or preferred length)
1 ½ skeins Worsted weight yarn, (Sample knitted in Caron Simply Soft) [label 100% Acrylic, 4 ply, 165 yards/3oz skein, 18 sts/24 rows = 4”/10 cm on (US) 8 (5.0mm) needles]
Gauge in pattern on larger needles: 16 sts, 22 rows = 4”/ 10 cm Finished size (slightly stretched to lay pattern flat): 19 ½” x 20” (50 x 51 cm)

With smaller needles, cast on 75 stitches and knit 6 rows for bottom border, slipping the first stitch of each row for the blanket.
Switch to larger needles and begin pattern.

Row 1: Knit across
Row 2: Sl 1, K2, P4, (K1tbl, P4) 13 times, K3

Repeat Rows 1 and 2 until you are ½ “short of desired length, ending with Row 2.
(I came up with a total of 50 pattern repeats)
Change back to smaller needles and knit 7 rows.
Bind off in Purl.

National Gas Out Day

It's national Gas Out Day!
I bring you a story in pictures from our trip from Indianapolis to Dallas, to Orange County, CA.

Indianapolis, IN

MO

Big Springs, TX

El Paso, TX

Tuscon, AZ

Ehrenberg, AZ

Coachella, CA-$3.69!!!

We're HOME! Happy Mother's Day!

As I'm sitting here, it is currently 3:46am in Southern California. I've just spent the past 1 1/2 hours opening mail and on the phone with tech support to reconnect the computers. [We had a new cable modem delivered while I was gone. We are now up and running.]

However, if I weren't so tired, I would be typing out a full report. Since I feel as if I could dive under the covers and possibly not wake up for ohhhhhhhhhhhhh.....329483405948 days, I'll leave you with this little bit...

Any guesses how we got from Bloomington, IN to Southern California? Hint,...we had a blast! And I'd do it again! Just let me catch some sleep first, please! OH...Happy Mother's Day! Can't wait to see the girls now!

Thanks for all the well wishes, prayers, and great thoughts! Y'all really came through for this trip!

The Mother/Son Adventure is about ready!

I am so excited! My 24 year old son has asked me to help him drive home this week! In case I didn't have anything to do...would I like to come drive home with him for the summer?

Now, I tell ya...how could I turn that down? Not me! I'm so excited!(oh wait, I said that already-sorry).

It's been a longggggggggggg time since I was in a car road trip like this and they weren't pretty back then.(used to do the 45 hourCA to MI trip, straight through with only 15 mins for gas and potty breaks combined...not.a.pretty.sight)

This one will be just my son and me. Here's where the favor comes in. Depending upon your beliefs...I'd like to request prayers, good thoughts, candles lit, good vibes, good karma, planets in alignment,good wishes, good...whatever you use for a few things:

1)no tornados or bad weather while we're driving around the clock for the 36 (give or take) hour trip


2)limited construction (I'd like to say no construction, but I am a realist at times)


3)my hip, knee, ankle and shoulder don't poop out on me (will have lots of pain pills with me..and the really good stuff for prying me out of the car when I get home and into the driveway)


4)my flights into INDY won't be delayed, as that would really throw a monkey wrench into the start time for this Mother/Son adventure


5)that this is going to be as much fun that I'm praying it to be for time alone with my son! How often do you get a chance to spend time with your kids once they're 'off to college' and out in the real world? I'm grabbing this one for all I can get!!


6)that there will always be something around that's OPENED when we have the NEED TO FEED! ahahaha....


7)I'm thinking clean restrooms wouldn't be a bad thing to wish/ask for either



question. Do you think I'd throw the balance of the universe out of wack if I asked him to run over to Hobby Lobby and pick me up a 'few' since my flight won't land Thursday evening until 10:40pm? Or would that just really be pushing it? Ya, I'm thinking so...his clothes for the summer or yarn for mom in the car...hmmmmmmmmmm.....his car....his rules. ha!

Happy Mother's Day Weekend!

(gas prices could be interesting along the way compared to the ones I've been posting recently from OC, CA. I cringe when I hear the TV news folks say...gas has risen only $0.04 cents this month..ha! I've watched it go up much higher, and I can prove it! pictures will follow from the trip.)



Trip starts Thursday!

Hummingbirds and humming through EZ's BSJs

Recently I had the luck of picking up Melissa Bergland-Burnham's Garden Dishcloths to Knit. I've been a fan of her work for awhile. I wonder if she's a Michigan girl (Michigan waterfalls, cherries, etc...) but back to the point. She has a web site at: http://home.earthlink.net/~oscarsdotter/id2.html in case you'd like to see her other patterns-AND A NEW BOOK! AHHHHH...a new quest! hehehehhehe

Last year my parents decided to sell our family cottage at the lake after being 'up north' there for 40 years. Give or take. One of the things my mom loved was to see her hummingbirds from her front bay window. I easily suspect that they were much more calming and satisifying to watch than the time eight tornadoes came flying across the lake. (Not much of a leap there. Right?) They had a place a few cottages down and across the street from my aunt and uncle, too. All four of them are back living in town these days.

Now, growing up in town, I don't remember seeing hummingbirds around. But then being a teenager, I'm sure, scratch that, I know I wasn't watching birds. Robins I do remember, but not hummingbirds. Anyway, after hearing great things about this booklet, I have been looking for it for several months now. And I'm glad it finally showed up...well...ok...I found it. I finished the first of most of the patterns I want to complete from this book for Mom and her sister. I'm only disappointed that today's just not a good day for the MINT green color to show up on the cloth. It looks more olive-leaf green to me. Oh, the towel under it was white, too! Maybe they'll show up better in a couple of days. Grrrrrr...

In other news, BSJ #3 is now off the needles! I can see many, many, many of these sweaters along the way! However, I'm not totally sold on this particular one. Maybe it's the difference between being so happy with the feel of the Hobby Lobby Sweet Delights Prints yarn compared to this one and maybe it's the size (US) 3 (3.25mm) needles that I used. I know I'm very unhappy with the I-chord edging around the bottom and front of the sweater. It's to 'wobbly' for my taste. Picky I have turned out to be. Who'd have guessed?

Here are the stats on this little number:
Pattern: Baby Surprise Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmermann
Yarn: Lion Brand's Babysoft in Twinkle Print
Needles: Addi Turbos in (US)3, (3.25mm) 24" (60cm) length
Gauge: 25 1/2 sts = 4"/10 cm
Chest size: 14 1/4"
Buttons: generic pink buttons for 80cents presale discount from Hanncock's Closing sale. (*sniff, sniff, let's have a moment of silence for the closing...)

Onto things of preemie blankets and hats, baby blankets, hats, and Michigan cherries, cardinals, and birdhouses! Oh, and another baby in my extended family is on the way ... What is in the water these days? I'm not drinking it! I'll knit and celebrate, but I'M.NOT.DRINKING.THE.WATER!

Leaving the crochet 'mostly' up to you!

Crochet is something I generally feel is best left to anyone but me. While my mother can crochet afghans for the grandkids, I prefer to knit. Why? Cuz I can knit. I can knit without looking...and I don't generally have to keep referring to the directions every 3.5 seconds while I am knitting.

For me, crocheting is something I have to do without any distractions. I have to watch every movement and twist of the yarn. I have to constantly count and double check to make sure I'm putting the hook into the correct loop. Therefore, I can't watch tv, or a movie, or the kids when they used to play soccer, or baseball, or dance competitions while I'm crocheting.

Except for this one pattern. I've made a 'bucket load' of these afghans in both the written size and my adaptation for babies. It's called the Crayon Ripple Throw/Blanket and it can be found on the Lion Brand web site. www.lionbrand.com. For me, since the original pattern was written for Jamie-4 ply (which has now been discontinued) the easiest way to find the pattern is to put the title in their search bar. Keep in mind that their patterns are all free, but you do have to register to use their patterns.

For the full sized patterns I use any brand of worsted weight yarn as per the pattern with a size J-10 crochet hook. For the baby sized afghans, I drop it down to an H size crochet hook. I then repeat rows 2 and 3 each for a total of 28 times. This gives me roughly a 36" square baby afghan. I've made many for the NMCRS baby layette program. Just pick how many colors you want and chaneg the colors every 2 or even amount of rows.

As to the rest of the crocheting - well, come to think about it, it's been forever since I've made broomstitch lace afghans, too..maybe I'll have to do one at some point. otherwise...as far as the rest of the crochet world...I'll leave up to you!

I Will Knit, Can Knit Everywhere!

Recently a question was asked of the AC4C yahoo group...where is the weirdest place that you have ever knit...after posting my answer, Gail wrote this about me. Thanks GAIL! I love it!

I will knit, can knit on the chair

At the dentist. Everywhere!

Rose Bowl, Angels, UCLA,

Going to classes, I knit on the way.

I will knit, can knit here and there.

I will knit, can knit everywhere!

:-) Gail M in PA