Good News/Bad News Monday

First the good news! My blocking board finally arrived in the mail! I ordered the larger one, which is 51" X 33". Isn't it nice!




Now the bad news...I won't be using it for a while...:-(

Last night, while washing the dishes, I did EXACTLY what my mother told me NEVER to do. I soaked a couple razor-sharp kitchen knives (brand new this Christmas and therefore INSANELY sharp) in the dishwater that I was using. While scrubbing a cookie sheet with a potscrubber, I gave myself a nasty slash to the middle finger of my right hand.

I was doing pretty well containing the bleeding. Ok, It bled like a stuck pig if I did anything more vigorous than lie on my back with my arm held high in the air, but I can work around that. After 4 hours it wasn't clotting, so I zipped off to the ER for a stitch or two...and a tetanus shot. Ick.

On the plus side, it was sort of surreal reading "Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures" by Toronto ER doctor Vincent Lam while hanging around...and around... a Toronto ER. I definitely recommend the book, if not the reading venue.

Surprisingly, while I can't really apply a lot of pressure to the finger, I can sort of knit. This is important chiefly because tomorrow is the kick-off of the Lunchtime Knitting Club at the girls' school. Although, I suppose that having to rely on halting, deliberate motions with needles will make me more empathetic to my students initial efforts.

As a special treat this year, Mrs. M. is not only letting us use her classroom, but will be offering crochet lessons as well!

Ok, I better scoot and cast on 25 stitches on a whole bunch of starter needles...it could take some time since I'm working "lefty".

Another Gift in the Mail!

Ok, still not my new blocking board...double :-( :-(

But look at this...


Gilly's teacher sent this postcard to us with a little brag about how well Gillian is adjusting to full day school. Isn't that wonderful...first that Gilly is enjoying school, but also that this teacher provides such positive feedback. He's a keeper! (to think, I was worried this summer about Gillian having a new teacher...silly me!)

Lookie What the Mail Carrier Brought!

Nope, not my new blocking board... :-(

But this...


A little prezzie from Dulcedosa for participating in her blog contest...hey, I didn't even win!

The stitch markers are particularly nice. She sells them at GirleyPurls ... check them out!

Knitting is boring. I'm knitting rows and rows of burgundy acrylic and wondering how much of it I will have to frog. No pictures, too depressing!

They're So Cute When They're Sleeping...

Ok, this really isn't a much better picture of the sweater, it really does look nice on DH. Unfortunately, he just got home from a business trip last night and conked out before I managed to photograph him.

Notice the remote control for the television...guarded even in his sleep...


I'm working away on the Astra Cardigan, facing one of my usual dilemnas. I made proper gauge squares and determined that I needed to use 4.5mm needles instead of the 4.0mm called for by the pattern. The sweater recipient requested that I make the largest size of the pattern, but the finished dimension of the cardigan was only 2 inches larger than her bust measurement. Frankly, that isn't as much ease as I would like in a cardy, so I tweaked the pattern a bit to add about a half size more to the sweater. Now of course, I'm freaking out that the sweater will be too large.

Before I panic, frog everything I have done (one front panel and about one third of the back), I should complete the back and pin it to the front to get an idea of what the finished size will be. Seem reasonable?

Well, tomorrow is PJ day at school and I have to go make sure that the offspring have clean, presentable nightwear for the morning...

At long last...the Adirondack Sweater!

Once again, I apologize for the lousy photograph. Hopefully, when it is finished blocking, I can coax DH into modeling it! This is Elizabeth Morrison's Adirondack Sweater In person, the sweater looks exactly like the picture on her site. I don't know why this is so astounding and yet comforting to me at the same time, but it is. Anyway, I highly recommend the pattern. It is well written and very straight forward and there is exceptionally little finishing required! (a big plus for me!) I would have completed it in no time if the warm weather hadn't intervened last spring and put me off knitting huge woolly one piece sweaters until late fall!

Notice also that my blocking board (piece of insulation with turquoise checkered tablecloth pinned over it) is no more. One of my offspring was playing with it and snapped it in half. (grrrrr...) Anyway, this drywall-type-stuff will do in a pinch. I did breakdown and order a proper blocking board today. Whether or not I receive it remains to be seen. The vendor seemed a bit concerned about shipping to Canada, so fingers crossed.

I don't think this counts as stash knitting. I bought a BIG pile of taupe coloured Paton's Classic Merino yarn when Lewiscraft went out of business last spring with only a general idea of what I was going to do with it. Turns out I overestimated my project requirements by a LONG SHOT and could probably knit a matching sweater for me out of the leftovers!

I have a new big project that I just cast on! The mother of one of my DD's friends asked me to knit a cardigan for her mother. She's having trouble finding something in the stores that is simple and classic. Mrs. J picked out a crew neck cardigan with two diamond lace panel on the front. (Sorry no photo, I really need a new scanner), so I'm beetling away with a big pile of Astra.

Not much other news, the kids are back in school and life returns to normal for now.

A Couple Teeny Stash-Busters

In the spirit of nibbling down my stash in 2007, here are a couple quick and useful projects constructed entirely of stash yarn:


This is my version of the Magknits pattern "New York Hat", using some kiwi coloured llama yarn that I've had for a couple of years, plus some leftover cream coloured mohair that was left over from a baby sweater. No pictures of me modelling it. I did snap a few shots, but let's just say that it's late in the evening here, I'm fighting a cold and losing and I didn't bother to dab on any lipstick today. Not a fortuitous combination for successful headshots!




This is another Magknits hat, "Odessa", but in an adult size this time. It's made from a ball (well, maybe two-thirds of a ball) of wool/alpaca blend that Angela gifted to our SNB last Christmas...Christmas 2005. Again, no modelling pictures, but when I tried it on, Clare asked me if I was wearing a hairnet. Guess rusty brown wasn't a perfect choice for a snug-fitting hat with my auburn hair!

So, not to brag or anything, but it's January 3rd and my stash is lighter by 4 skeins! (Hey, you don't count partial skeins...right?)

You have been warned Stash of Doom... 2007 is NOT your year!