Say "Aloha" to my aloha shrug

Yes, it is finally finished. I know it doesn't look like much, but it took me a while because I got side tracked by other projects and life in general. So here are the specifics:

Pattern source: Comfy shoulder shrug (aka Aloha Shrug) from Creative Knitting Sept. 2007

Size: Large (big boned)

Yarn: Shine worsted from Knitpicks in coral and cream, 8 and 2 balls respectively (around about that amount)
Needle size: 9

Started: Mid-March 2008

Finished: June 26, 2008

Enjoyed working with this yarn and I do love the color. Makes me think of my tropical vacation, hence the name. It would have been finished Wednesday night, however I bound off and realized I made a mistake. Like seemed up the sides too far, and did not pick up enough stitches around the opening. DUH! Blond moment! (highlights count) So I frogged the edging, and some of the side seams, and re-finished it last night. Ahh...much better. In my defense, the instructions were not exactly that clear.

I must say though , that I impressed myself with the seaming. The last time I seamed something, it looked like crap. I think I did a much better job this time, considering there was open work right next to the edge. Not a lot of room/stitches for seaming. There are a few boo-boos in this shrug, but I made it with my own two hands. And for that I am proud.



I'd like to give a big shout out to Suzy Girl for being my photographer, hence the laughter. We always laugh when we are together. Here is too our lunches filled with knitting :)

TTFN!

Never leave home without it

I have a part time job on the weekends, Saturdays usually. I know, full time job, school and knitting! I am crazy, but I have worked weekends forever, since the age of 14. To not work a Saturday once in a while is nice, but to not work for a while seems boring to me. I was going to cut back to every other weekend, but the Hawaiian vacation is not cheap. After that then I 'll cut back.

Anyway, I go to my other job Saturday, and find I don't have access to the new program that is now in use. No problem, I'll call IS and be operational shortly. Apparently they couldn't track down anybody, and after two hours, I left. The sad fact is I HAD NO KNITTING WITH ME. I know! What an idiot! Especially after Suzy Girl, myself and Cattywampus discussed the guy in the elevator for 41 hours. Luckily I had the latest issue of IK with me, or else I really would have gone crazy. Never again knitting goddess! I swear!

So on to knitting, I am still working on the same projects. But here are some new WIP pictures:

The shrug is actually coming along nicely, considering I don't knit a lot or very fast for that matter. Using Shine Worsted from Knit Picks and it is soft and comfy. Suzy girl and I always pet this when I bring it to work for show and tell. This yarn would make for nice spring/summer tops or sweaters. It feels nice against your skin too. So, as you can see it's chugging along.

Next we have my first sweater, the citrus yoke pullover:

Far away and close up. As you can see I am working my way down the neck. The pattern starts on dpns, and I am using 10.5. You increase every 2nd row in the 4 rom pattern, so it moves along quickly. I was uneasy with all those stitches on dpns. I was afraid of losing some, so I bought 16' circulars. Well, the stitches are squished on there, so now I need to get 24' circs. That's what the pattern calls for anyway, but at first I didn't feel as though what I had would fit appropriately. Now I think it will. Using Wool of the Andes Bulky and I like it so far. Not really itchy, and pretty soft considering. Did I mention I have to wind up the yarn by hand? I'll get a winder eventually :)

I should also mentioned that last Friday night, the 25th, I finished my last paper and presentation for school. YEA! Very happy and excited about this momentous occasion, because I have spent a lot of time at the kitchen table writing papers and stuff. I'll give that presentation on May 5th. It's a piece of cake!

Also my hockey team, the Flyers, miraculously made out of the first round of the playoffs! Very excited. They won game seven in overtime! Nothing like giving me a little heart attack boys. They are currently playing the Montreal Canadiens, and don't even get me started. I am only asking that all the games get called fairly. Game 4 is tonight, and my boys are up 2 games to 1. Keeping my fingers crossed.Lets go Flyers!

TTFN!

Very busy week

Hey, hey everybody! Hope you are doing well. I am as is Suzy. WE have both had a very busy week. Work has been crazy, too many projects and meetings to count. I know meetings are a necessary evil, but they can suck up the most productive time ever! Preparing for it, traveling to it, holding it, and following up, how does anything truly get done???

Monday night I attended my last class I need for my bachelors. YEA!!! Very exciting. I have a final paper and presentation to write as well, but that is just a matter of doing. Which is hard, because I should be working on it, yet here I am blogging and thinking Ravelry, since I don't get on too much. And did I mention I am thinking of swatching for my sweater? Oh yeah, so anyway.

Other exciting news. Got a new camera! Yea! My old camera was like one of the first digital cameras ever, so this is a nice step up for me. It is a Canon Power Shot SD750, Digital elph. Read the book a couple of times, and not much as sunk in. Wee bit confusing, but I have figured out with some uses, how do the things. I think the editing the pictures after will be really cool. You see, I would like to take a cool picture of some yarn for the banner to the blog. You know jazz it up a little. So anyway, these are the first pictures I took:

My baby of course! This is Lucky saying, "Why mommy? Why must you take my picture....again?"

This is what she looks like when you ask her if she wants some cookies. "Cookies? Did you say cookies? Hell yeah mommy!" She is the princess of the house obviously. She just turned 11. I usually rub her belly with my foot while I knit, so she doesn't feel left out. You know how princesses are?

I have gotten a little bit of knitting done this week. I had a tape measure moment last week with respect to my shrug. See, I am not too good at the measuring part. I know, this is a pretty easy skill, but you just don't know. I measure something, and it's 5 inches. Suzy does it and it's 10. If I measure something with her, it comes out to the necessary length. Can't explain it. I miss measured so badly, I almost frogged the Aloha shrug. I even started to cast on for a new one on different needles. Yeah, that took a couple of nights of precious knitting. Well, after consulting with Suzy, I again realized I can't measure, but my shrug is just fine. Phew! Here are some progress pictures and a different background:

It's coming along nicely. The stitch pattern is easy. No thinking required. Perfect TV watching knitting. I am starting to get a little bored though, hence the sweater swatch possibly later today. I don't know we'll see. Other than that, I don't have many WIPs. My multi-directional scarf which is languishing somewhere. I think I'll pull that back out today too. I just got a dark hot pink rain coat and the scarf will look cute with it.

Well, that's it for now. Take care and TTFN!

ETA:

Mmm..malabrigo! Cinnamongirl is having a contest for 2 skeins of malabrigo. I found out because Bea mentioned it on her blog. Go see Cinnamongirl and please tell her I sent you!

Aloha shrug and what is so super about this Tuesday?

Happy Super Tuesday Everyone!

I think every day and or week now has a special name. I am just afraid by the time Pennsylvania has their primary in a couple of weeks my choice will be made. Regardless of who it is, I still want to feel as though I had a choice. I don't like things being dictated to me. Although do we really have a choice in our leader anyway?

Alright enough of that bitchin, on to knitting! I have dubbed my vacation shrug the Aloha shrug. Well duh! As mentioned previously, I 'm using the comfy shoulder shrug pattern from the September 07 Creative Knitting Mag. That pattern called for bamboo yarn which was pretty difficult to find on the web, believe it or not. So I am using Knit Picks Shine Worsted. These pictures are from last week, so it is actually bigger now.

I am really enjoying working with yarn. It is soft and smooth, yet not too slippery. I just know this will feel great against my skin. I read Shine may shed, but mine hasn't and I am into the second ball. I needed 10 total. Before I forget, 7 of these balls have come my way from Knitting Novice via Suzy Girl. Neither one of my gals could come up with a project for this yarn, so luckily it was given to me. Yea!

I have to boogie on out the door, so TTFN!