Knitwith Homespun

I have been very busy trying to forget about my sciatica pain. Knitting really helps me get lost in the work and the cables. I am loving knitting this pattern.

On Ravelry, there is a knit along beginning today for this cardigan. I started way back in June so I am ahead but thought I would post my progress to help those just starting. I am using Lion Brand Wool Ease in Oxford Grey. I finished the lower body and left off on row 133. The pattern says to leave the work on the needles and start the sleeves. The pattern also states to start the cuffs on double pointed needles. I am not a fan of the double points for stuff like this so I used two circulars like I would for socks. When knitting the cables, you could easily just use straight needles but I prefer the cable needles.

I finished the cuff for sleeve one and picked up the stitches for the sleeve as stated. The pattern tells me that I will have 52 stitches when I pick up around the slipped stitches. I didn’t. I had something like 47. I took them out and tried again and again. Each time I came up short and couldn’t seem to get the correct stitch count. So I took it out and picked them up one last time. Instead of picking up in each of the slipped stitches, I just picked up two in some until I arrived at the stated 52 stitches. I can’t explain how this might have happened but I didn’t cry about it. I started the stockinette of the sleeves and everything ended up looking just fine. The proper length for me ended up being 89 rows. Coincidentally, it took exactly one skein to complete this number of rows. I bound off and slipped the four appropriate stitches to the waste yarn. I then took the sleeve off the working needles and placed them on the spare set as instructed.

Sleeve two worked out the same stinkin way! I couldn’t get to the 52 stitches so I did the same thing. However, either Lion doesn’t measure their yarn properly for the skeins or my knitting is terribly uneven. Here is where I am on the second sleeve at the end of the skein in the picture at right. The first photo doesn’t truly show how uneven they are. I attempted to show it better and hopefully you can see the difference in the shot on the left. I am only at row 84 so I think the extra 5 rows might actually make them about right. I just hate to have to start another skein just for that little bit of sleeve.

Another problem I had actually happened on both cuffs. On the fourth repeat of each cuff, I went the wrong way with the cables. It is just too funny to me that I made this mistake in the same place and the same repeat of the cuff. Too funny!

I can’t wait to block this when it’s done.  I can’t wait to see it all smooth and lovely and even.  It’s beautiful and I am thrilled with how it’s looking. I am totally enjoying this knit and I think I might finish before the weather turns here in California!

Today is Bella’s birthday! Happy birthday, my girl!

I want to tell the story of her name. I wanted to name her Isabella since I got pregnant in the beginning of 2000. David wanted to name her Emily. I thought it best not to fight about it until she was born and then we could discuss it rationally. We never argued. We just agreed to disagree on her name. While she was in utero, we called her Emilou Fasrabbits. This is a name my dad uses when he has forgotten someone’s name. Others are Emilou Gadork, and Emilou something else (I can’t remember but there are three). So Emilou dictated many things from in utero.

I went to the doctor on Monday, September 18 at 8:00am. I was having trouble and they were worried about my amniotic fluid. She wasn’t due until October 1st. When I was there, they decided to induce my labor. They did. Oh my God does that hurt! So, I am in labor and they take me to a tiny tiny room in the hospital. When I say tiny, I mean tiny! There is barely room for David and me together. So they say when another of the really giant labor and delivery rooms opens up, they will take me there. A few hours go by and they say one has opened up and did I want to go over there. Sure! So we start to move on over there. We are walking and as we enter the larger room, the lady who was cleaning it up from the most recent guest comes out. Her name tag says Isabella. At the very same moment, there is a commercial on the TV about a latin type movie with a lead character named, you guessed it, Isabella. As we entered the room, David said, “Fine!” He took these as signs and there was no further discussion. Also, for your information, my maternal grandmother’s name was Isabelle.

There you have my lovely birthday story. I love my girl and we have lots of things to do today including a sleep over with her BFF, Catrina. We are going to Color Me Mine and dinner later at a local park. It’s a very nice day and I hope you all have a great weekend!

I have upgraded to WordPress 2.6.2. Since doing this yesterday, I haven’t received e-mails for the comments I am getting on my posts. I am working on a remedy but if you have commented, and I haven’t responded, it’s not cause I don’t love you! Thanks for understanding!

After finishing Charlotte’s Web I was very enthusiastic about knitting and finishing projects. I love to knit and really got pumped up by finishing my project and thought about all the other projects I could start and finish. Next in line, my Susie Hoodie from More Big Girl Knits. I thought I could finish this very quickly since it knits so quickly. After picking it up again, I got some e-mails regarding a knit along for the Susie Hoodie in the Big Girl Knits group on Ravelry. I joined the group and starting posting in the discussion group. I think most of the people in the group haven’t started knitting their Susies yet so I am way ahead of them at this point.

In the discussion regarding which yarn to use, I posted about the yarn I am using, Lion Brand Wool Ease.  I received a message from a nice lady asking about my gauge so I thought I would post a picture of my progress with my knit gauge on it.  Of course, this isn’t blocked but the idea is to show how the Wool Ease is knitting up with this pattern.  If you count the stockinette stitches, there are 17 in the 4″ section showing here.  That’s pretty darn close but as we all know, blocked it will turn out differently.  I am happy with these results at this point and I think the size will be perfect as far as the knitting goes.  Whether it fits or not remains to be seen.

The cables for this sweater have caused me some frogging.  I was 55 rows in and had to frog cause the cables were messed up.  I am not very experienced with cables so I didn’t know how to fix them without frogging.  I have overcome that fear but I haven’t had any more problems.  In fact, I am getting to know them pretty well and I almost don’t have to look at the chart when I get to the cable section.

I think my love for knitting is growing with this sweater.  This sweater is a lot of fun to knit and I am finding myself getting happier and happier as I knit.  It’s really helping me keep motivated and finish projects.  I will also focus on one project at a time from now on (don’t quote me).  I find my enthusiasm and interest at a peak for each project while I’m knitting it.  I am hoping to finish this sweater by the end of the month and then I can wear it in the fall.  I am very thrilled about it and will continue to post progress as needed.

I have. But this post is about why. What gets us excited at the prospect of meeting someone famous. Do we think they will love us and be lifelong friends? What do we think is going to happen at this meeting? Do we even have a chance to talk? If so, what will we talk about? Do we have anything in common? If so, what? These are all things that went through my mind today.

Approximately 11:36am, my husband called and said I would never guess who just walked into his showroom and I might want to get in the car and come down right now. Well my immediate thought was, nah, probably not. I doubt there is anyone that I want to meet that badly. I was wrong. I put on makeup (quickly) and jumped in the car. I had my camera with me (just in case) and drove fast fast to the shop.

I didn’t see him immediately and Will said I just missed him! Damn it! I saw my husband. He was getting some t-shirts with the shop logo and diagrams of motorcycles on them and he said to me “come with me”. I went with him. We went outside and he introduced me to Ewan McGregor. Yes, that’s right baby! It was hard to see him through the foggy glow around his head. He was getting in his car and David gave him his shirts. We shook hands and he took off.

Did I meet a celebrity? Yessir I did. Does he even remember my name? I doubt it. Are we now lifelong friends? No. Has anything in my life changed for it? No. Has anything in his life changed? No. So, I ask you all, what’s the point? Why am I interested in meeting him? Cause it was fun. It was interesting. I can say I did it. That’s all there is to it. Thank you, Mr. McGregor and I look forward to the Long Way Under (or whatever is next).