So Close, but.....

For your viewing pleasure, an almost FO:




The Ribs and Lace Tank is for the most part complete.  All I need to do is adjust the strap length and graft them to the stitches on the back.  I'm going to see if my sis can stop by some time tomorrow so I can have her try it on.  I want to mark this baby as officially done!  Plus I need to get a pic of it on her which I'm quite sure is going to make it look a lot better then laying flat in a chair.   Though I'll probably wait to get the pic until I've washed and blocked it. 

Now what to make next.  I think I'm for the most part done with summer knitting.  I think next up is Bree's sweater.  Ah and socks, lots more socks.  I'm having sock withdrawals.  Must...Knit...More...Socks!  And since I have a well stocked sock yarn stash, I should have absolutely no problems finding yarn to knit with.

Tank Update

I'm chugging right along on my sisters tank. 




I'm about 16 rows from starting the straps.  The back is almost finished.  All I need to do is decrease all the stitches down to 18 stitches which will be used to graft the straps on.  So I guess I need to text my sis and tell her that if she wants her tank she's going to need to stop by the house so I can do some measuring for the strap length.   

Send me some knitting juju, good luck, etc on the fit of this thing.  It looks like it's going to fit but I'm worried about the length.  Here's hoping I compensated correctly.  I shortened it up a bit to compensate for the sag of the cotton.  I didn't want the tank down around her knees like a dress. 

Oh and here's how I worked around the two holes in my finger.




There's a small band-aid under there....Spiderman if anyone cares to know!  On top of the band-aid I layered about 5 small pieces of that medical cloth tape that docs seem to use for everything.  Nothin's pokin' through that stuff.  With all those layers I was able to knit away. 

See, there isn't much that will stop me from knitting.  I even knit through sleep deprivation, head colds, etc.....though I've learned to stick with simple dishcloths and Stay Away From Lace!  Lace and no sleep or lace and being sick just absolutely do not mix for me.  I learned my lesson the hard way.

Dang This Tank!

OK, I worked on my sisters tank last night and I've made fabulous progress.  Doesn't the tank go with the couch?

I did finish up the dishcloth I was working on and start another Cables and Lace dishcloth.  I loved the pattern and want to see how it looks in variegated yarn.

The only problem is now the tiny hole I had on my finger is now one small hole and a decent size crack.  I doesn't help that I poked myself in the same to sore spots like 5 times and still continued to knit after a quick "Ouch Damnit"! 

The ribbing is coming along faster then I was expecting.  It helps that it's something that requires very little effort, so I can watch TV.

I also received my sock club box in from The Loopy Ewe.  Oh I love it!  Ah what a wonderful way to start off the week!  Sheri and family did not disappoint.  I won't be posting pics for awhile because I don't want to ruin anyones surprise.  I know that there is at least one person who reads my blog who is also in the club.  I will say that I love it, love it, love it!   

Well I need to go get the girls ready to leave.  We forgot about Bree's lab work last week so we have to run up to the hospital to get that done.   

23 days till they pack everything up and 30 days before we head out of here.  I need to get a ticker made later today. 

Have a great day everyone!  Hope you all managed to get in some knitting time. 

Knitting Updates & A Tip

I worked on the Silver Pine Campfire Socks last night.




So they now have a gusset.  I could probably get the first sock finished tonight but I think I'll work on my sisters tank instead.

Another dishcloth on the needles.




I'm still working on getting rid of all the scraps.  I'm slowly making progress and I have tons of dishcloths for our house in Montana. 
I swapped over from circs to straight needles....wow the picture a lot easier to take!  These needles were some cheapo bamboo needles I bought off of an ebay seller.  I got sizes US3-US11 for like $20.  As a newbie knitter I thought this was a wonderful deal.  Now I never used them much because since they are unfinished you have to use them over and over and over again to make them smooth.   The non smoothness aggravated me and slowed me down.

So I got to thinking it was a horrible deal and now I have a bunch of needles that suck!  Ha, I figured a way to make those needles feel like they've been used for years.  The Loopy Ewe sells a wonderful product called Bee Bar.  The stuff works great on your hands and smells yummy...though it also comes in unscented for anyone who is sensitive to dyes and perfumes.  I just noticed that Sheri now has Lavender sent bars....damn!  Guess I'll have to snag one the next time I buy something.  What makes this stuff even more wonderful is that you can rub it onto your bamboo needles and woohoo they smooth out and they feel smooth like you've been using them for years and they stay like that.

Now obviously you wouldn't want to use this on bamboo needles like Crystal Palaces needles which are already super smooth and I'm not sure how these work on wood needles like Brittany Birch.  But it definitely works wonders on cheapo bamboo needles.

Well I'm outta here for now.  For some reason the family thinks they need to eat!  So I'm off to cook dinner.  I'm still looking for that maid/cook/house cleaner that is willing to work for hand knit stuff.  Everyone wants cash! 

Yarn.....Yum!

I think the title says it all.  I got my box in from TLE this morning. 




This stuff is way gorgeous and totally drool worthy.   I love the Gypsy Knits color Banana Split (the hank in the middle).  It really does kinda remind me of a banana split.  The CTH Sockittome isn't quite as soft as the CTH Supersock...shoot what is, but it is softer then most sock yarns with nylon in them.  I think I may like the new stuff too but I reserve the right to change my mind after I've knit up a pair of socks with it.  I got the Panada cotton to make socks for the girls.  Kaity likes ankle socks so I think I can get a pair for her and a pair for Bree out of these two skeins.

I also started another pair of socks last night.   These will be used for SOS07 and will go into the Cider Moon flickr group.

These socks are the Campfire Sock pattern by the gals from Cider Moon and I'm using their yarn Glacier in the Silver Pine colorway.  Now this is not what I would normally pick in a sock yarn color but for some reason the yarn kept calling to me a few months back so I bought it.  It's been sitting in my stash waiting to be knit. 

The only socks I have OTN are the Twisted Flower socks which require a good amount of concentration and are not something I knit while watching TV or when the kids are awake. 

Ribs and Lace Tank

I finally got a better photo of the Ribs and Lace Tank I'm making for my sister. 




Now doesn't that look much better.  It still isn't perfect but it's better then the crap photos being shot here in the house.  I should have used the Sony.  Ah well, next time.  And to think I went out into the heat to take this pic for you all.  :~)  It's almost 100F (37.8C) out there, yuck I hate the heat.  I snapped my pics, snatched up the tank and ran right back into the A/C cooled house.  I'm a pansy, I'll admit it. 

And since you all were kind enough to look at another unfinished photo of the tank and listen to me whine about the heat.....I give you yarn:

I won this from Romancing the Yarn.  During the month of July they were having a contest called Yarnapaloza where they picked a winner each day for the whole month of July.  Imagine my surprise when I saw I was winner #28....Yippy! 
I'll probably use the Gedifra to make socks for me.  Probably some comfy simple ribbed socks.  Kaity has already laid claim to the simple stripes, mumbling something under her breath that sounded a lot like the word knee socks.  Wee that should be fun!  :~)

Well I'm outta here for now.  Stay tuned for gratuitous yarn photos tomorrow.  I should be getting my order in from TLE and to top it all off I should be getting my 2nd sock club order from TLE on Monday or Tues.  I received shipment confirmation that the package shipped today.  I'm doing the Snoopy Dance now.  I can't help but smile and wanna dance where I hear that tune.  I love Snoopy!

Happy Knitting Ya'll!

Progress on the Blankie

Due to the hole in my finger (see previous post), I worked on Blake's blankie. 




I managed to put another 4 squares.  Three more squares to go to finish the 4th row.  I've decided that I'm going to put 2 more rows on which will make the blanket about 24 inches wide without the border.  The border will add another 1-2 inches.  I want the blanket to be manageable....something that can be used in a car seat or stroller.

Next up, baby blanket for my cousin.  She's due with her first little one towards the end of the year.  I've sent her an email with some yarn colors.  I'm going with the Encore Colorspun.  It's sturdy, machine washable and its soft on the hands.  I'm going to go with a simple pattern.  I was actually thinking about the pinwheel blanket.  I think that would look awesome in the Colorspun.  I haven't decided yet though.  Anyone have a favorite baby blanket pattern they'd love to recommend?  It doesn't have to be free.  I'm more then willing to purchase books or the separate pattern.

Well I'm off to catch some sleep before it gets to late.  I have a busy day ahead of me.  The housing inspector is suppose to be here in the afternoon to tell us what all we need to fix/clean to pass our inspection and I have to take Bree to the hospital for her blood work.