Post! Your dirty minds should have seen that coming a mile away! 😉
I cannot believe I have somehow managed to neglect my blog for a week and a half – it this blog was a child the state would be involved. There was drama but frankly I am just not in the mood to dissect all of it at the moment (or ever). Not to mention the fact that whenever I go near my computer I am bombarded with all the things that need to be done of the silly machine like:
- Making new business cards.
- Making care instructions for all the new knits.
- Updating my Ravelry page.
- Updating my Etsy page.
- Replying to a million emails I would rather avoid (the ones I want to respond to I try to do in a more timely fashion).
- and of course…Updating my blog.
It’s been a bit of a struggle since I’ve been on a ruffle scarf binge again. I wanted to be able to buy a pair of needles for the Katniss Cowl. I got the needles but managed to much up the pattern so badly that I am seriously considering just doing it all over again – I owe it to my niece and more importantly I owe it to Lolly over at Lolly Knits. Silly genius made me a perfect pattern and I’ve mucked it up.
Let’s talk about what the hell I’ve been up to – if you’d like to, of course.
** BOOKS **
- I read Delirium to see if it would be something Gloria would be interested in, since I have heard such wonderful things about Before I Fall. The whole romance thing is something she wouldn’t be interested in and I found it a bit lacking, especially since reading quite a bit of really good YA fiction. If this can count as a review here it is – this book is the first in a trilogy and I haven’t bought any of the other books yet. Enough said.
- The End of Your Life Book Club was…Amazing. It is one of those that after you finish reading you almost cannot start a new book, it feels too close to cheating. I love this book, and if you are a lover of books, reading, family and life then seriously go find a copy.
- I am so glad I am almost done with The Beach Street Knitting Society and Yarn Club – it’s bloody awful! Set outside of London the completely formulaic story may not have sucked that bad if the author would capitalize ever-single-solitary word she wants to emphasize. Every time I saw something Capitalized it took me right out of the story.
** MUSIC **
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- Imagine Dragons
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- Florence and the Machine
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- Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde
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- Elliott Smith
I could try to explain why I love this music but eh, I just wanna share what I’ve been listening to. Here is Imagine Dragons Radioactive though, the music video is painfully stupid but if you just listen to the song it’s all good!
** KNITTING AWARDS **
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- The Versatile Blogger
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- One Lovely Blog Award.
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- The Wordpress Family Award.
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- The Liebster Award.
The lovely bloggers who’ve nominated me for these wonderful awards deserve a proper “Thank You” shout out, which I will put in the Award section on the upper part of my blog. But if I blog it here their blogs might get read twice!
Go check out some amazing blogs and keep posted for their long overdue tributes on the Awards section of the blog.
** KNITTING **
- The Reversible Cabled Scarf was a stash-buster which made me so utterly happy that I made two. I found it on Ravelry originally, but when I went to find the link it’s gone. I remember it was free though so if you have an interest lemme know.
- The Herringbone Stitch cowl is made with the same roving yarn was the cabled scarves, in honor of Lolly and her Katniss Cowl pattern. Plus, I wanted the yarn out of my stash.
- The cowl was a purchased pattern from my LYS and it turned out amazing! And yes, I did find another WIP in the bottom of my bag – it’s like Mary Poppins’ freaking knitting bag!
- The baby hat was from Itty-Bitty Knits with a few alterations on my part, when the I-cord is place I will get a proper picture. I am pretty sure it is going to be adorable.
** THE END CREDITS **
If you’ve made it through my ramblings good for you because I don’t think I could! I can’t wait to get down and dirty with the Knit Along details, get some more knitting under my belt and do Lolly some justice with that cowl. You know, if I didn’t have a full-time job I could get a lot more done! 😉 Well Friends and Neighbors, hope all is well, cannot wait to catch up with all of you and hope to hear from you soon!
This is the scolding look I get from Max when I don’t blog enough. Scary, isn’t it?
All Night Knits 
Ooooooh the cat knows! Scary 😳!
He’s a fierce little bugger! Actually, he ate some of that roving yarn and is having some VERY blue bowel movements;) Yup, he’s starting to dislike all this yarn!
Mmmm nice – eating yarn is certainly one way of getting to hate it – if you’re a cat 😉
He is appearing appalled by my stash right now;)
Side note: How long does it usually take to make a sweater?
Hahaha! Just as well that he’s not seen my stash! You know those big plastic under-bed store boxes? I have seven of those in a stack. And yarn in the wardrobe. And in bags. And under the desk. I even got rid of some older clothes I no longer wear recently, making more space for yarn, but it’s full again now 😳! An occupational hazard of working in a yarn shop, constantly in the way temptation!
As for the sweater question, I don’t think I have ever knitted a sweater solidly without other projects in between except for a top I designed (and therefore knitted to a deadline) but deadline knitting is different because then I knit in every spare minute, late into the night sometimes, until I fall asleep mid row and have to stop, which I wouldn’t usually do.
I would say approx 4 – 6 weeks for the sweater you have picked for your KAL, which should mean most people don’t feel too under pressure.
Just don’t ask me about the sweater that I started three and a half years ago! (2 sleeves and one back knitted – it’s worked in cabled rib and looks tiny as the rib pulls it in. I keep telling myself it will be fine, but every time I look at it I’m worried it might be too small) 😳 Or the one I started 18 months ago (front, back and 3/4 of a sleeve knitted – too much stocking stitch and sleeves that may or may not be too poofy – bored and worried it might not suit me). Or the cardigan I’ve only started the peplum for and has been on the needles for ooooooh….. About 2 years……. (4ply yarn in dark navy + fiddly pattern that you can’t see properly in electric light = can’t knit it in the evenings for most of the year = hibernation).
Blimey! I think this is what you would call a diatribe! Sorry!
I love your diatribes!!!
That is a bevy of good advice – also a lot of new ways to hide my stash 😉
I figure I will keep the KAL up and open till everyone finishes, no pressure, just fun!
Good call! Deadlines = evaporation of fun 😉
No kidding! I am so stressed over this KAL, worried I’ll finish last that I almost started the thing early 😉 Oh well, just my nature!
Aww don’t stress! It’s meant to be fun (as you keep telling me when I feel guilty about my blog). Hmm… we’re as bad as each other 😳 anyway, someone will have to finish last, and as my numerous half sweaters prove, finishing last is better than not finishing at all 😉 you can’t wear half a sweater! (Well maybe Rihanna could, but I don’t think I could get away with it!) 😛
You could try it, start a new rage across the pond 😉
*spits out tea all over keyboard*
No. Think of the children! Their poor eyes 😳
Ha! Forget the children! I’m going to be 30 in a year and a half and I no longer care what suits the young 😉
In that case I’m only a year and a half behind you – don’t rush it on!
Anyway, never mind the kids (other people’s obviously, not got my own) it’s far too nippy (is that a Britishism?) here this evening to wear half a sweater!
Not sure what nippy is in that context, but it could be.
How many kiddies do you have?
Nippy = cold
It can also be used in other ways e.g. ‘There’s a nip in the air’ = It’s starting to get cold. If you don’t know what it means then it must be a Britishism 😉
Like I said – no kids (also no other half, so unlikely to have any anytime soon).
Oh, sorry I misread. I’ve had a other-half for almost 11 years and still no babies. It gets bloody old being asked about it 😉
It’s ok, easily done! I’m now the oldest unmarried person out of my cousins and the comment ‘it’ll be you next!’ gets pretty old after a while too!
No kidding – I am one of …wait for it… 42 grandchildren on my Dad’s side. The only one married without kids by the way. THAT is a freaking staple on family conversations – also the reason I bought a flask 😉
Crikey! That’s a lot! My Dad is one of five, so I have plenty of cousins, but not quite that many.
My Dad was one of 9. He had the least amount of children with 2. My aunt Debbie had the most with 5. I swear – do none of these people have cable?;)
good to have you back! You have been getting an amazing amount done.
I’ve been busy that’s for sure! It’s been good though, working is good for my OCD!
You are doing so much!!! I’ve been experiencing some blog neglect of my own, but I’m hoping that now that I finally have a job, I’ll have more time for blogging! I’ve been thinking of making myself a simple cowl with the herringbone stitch myself, I really fell in love with it while designing the Katniss cowl. Yours looks so smooshy and luxurious!
Congrats on the job!!!! *clapping!*
The roving yarn does make it really smooshy, I’m kinda in love;)
I’ve been busy alright and there is no end in sight – just how I like it. The KAL Sweater starts Monday and I’m a bit nervous but keeping fingers crossed!