Wow!

You may have noticed that I’ve been MIBA (Missing In Blogging Action) lately…that’s because I’ve been MIKA (Missing in Knitting Action)! I’ve been back at work for 3 weeks now and still haven’t really found my groove yet. I just don’t know when I’ll get to fit in all the knitting I want to do! Turns out, I don’t feel like knitting at 7am on the train as I thought I would. Turns out, I just want to lay my sleepy head on my hubby’s shoulder and sneak in a few more zzz’s. Which works out because since we travel together, I get to do just that ;0)



I’m still working on my pinwheel. I finished the body and the snazzy loopy border which is actually 16 million I-cords knit together! It looks pretty cool but was a bit of a pain to knit. I actually had to use some Lamaze breathing techniques to get through it at times ;0) But I did and am really glad I did it because it finishes it off so nicely.



I unpicked my scrap piece of yarn to reveal my sleeve stitches and am happy to report it worked marvellously. I made it up about two third of the way on the first sleeve (note that I skipped the ribbing because the intended giftee is 3 years old so there won’t be a need to fold the sleeves up at all) before realising that the sleeve shaping is on the wrong side! That’s right, the decreases are lined up across the top of the sleeve - and they’re not so neat! I have no idea what to do about it. Should I just keep going and hope that blocking will neaten it up and make it acceptable? Or should I let her rip? I decided to put her away for now while I compose myself and plan my exit strategy ;0)



So I started another itty bitty project for one of my new colleagues’ grandson due in mid-August. The pattern is from Debbie Bliss’ Special Knits and is indeed a nice and simple train knit. I finished the back last week and started knitting the front this morning. I’m knitting it out of Bernat Softee Baby in blue and using my Knit Picks classic needles in US 3. So far, I’m kind of on the fence about the needles. I like the nickel plated tips and the great price ($4.99) but the tips are really pointy and hurt my index after a while plus one of them is kinda bumpy about 1 inch from the tip which is really annoying. I should probably send them back but can’t be bothered. Besides shipping would probably cost as much as ordering another pair.



And in Julian news…he said his first word!!! Are you ready for this? His first word was: “Wow”! He started saying it at a friend’s pool party last weekend when we put sunglasses on his nose but we weren’t sure. Then on Tuesday at grandma’s he said it again when we placed a makeshift crown on his head. So cute! Wow wow wow!!! Here’s a picture of him sleeping in his swing. I really don’t know how he can sleep that way. I tried straightening him out a few times but he kept slouching like that and holding his feet. Go figure ;0)

Have a good week!

Round and round

I've fallen into a bit of my routine with my pinwheel this week: I knit around and around on the train home after work, notice a few stops before mine that I missed a bunch of yarnovers, shove the whole thing in my bag and unpick the offending rows on my way in to work in the morning. No kidding, I did this everyday this week! Literally, two steps forward, one step back!

But I still love it! You may notice a weird thin pin-stripe in the picture: I decided to knit the 18 sleeve stitches on a piece of scrap yarn instead of fussing with a holder and provisional cast on. I have no idea how this will work out since I've never done this for a sleeve before, but this technique works great for making thumbholes in mittens and I thought it might do the trick here too.

Basically, you knit the sleeve stitches on a piece of scrap yarn then put them back on the right needle and knit them again with your working yarn and keep going as usual. When ready to pick up the stitches for the sleeves, all you have to do is unpick the scrap yarn to reveal 18 top and bottom stitches (I hope). Much better than a holder and provisional cast-on, don't'cha think? Provided it works of course ;0) I'm about halfway through the second to last colour change and will be ready to move on to the sleees in no time. Can't wait to take it off the needle and see what it looks like!

In other news, I picked up a really cool package from the post office last night: my hot off the presses (okay, maybe not presses, but you get the idea) needles from Knit Picks. I needed to get some US 1, 2 and 3 circs to round off my collection and thought I'd buy my beloved addi's but since we're in money saving mode right now, I need to curb the yarn spending for a while and so decided to give the Knit Pick needles a go because at $4.99 each I got 3 for basically the price of one addi!

The small needles (US 3 and under are not available as interchangeable needles so I bought their "classic" circs instead and while I haven't tried to knit with them yet I did take a close look at them and was really pleasantly surprise at how similar they are to my addi's. The wires are just as flexible, the joins are ery smooth and the tips are very light and tapered just right. I think I'm going to like them. I also ordered a few tips and cables to try out their interchangeable needle mechanism and will let you know it goes when I try them on the weekend.

Have a good one everybody!

Pinwheelin'

I'm finally pinwheeling whoohoo! And what a fun knit it is ;0) ...well, except for the yarnovers I keep forgetting! I'm knitting it as part of the Pinwheel Sweater Knitalong I'm hosting and after seeing all the really cool versions popping up I really couldn't wait to start. I've already made 3 of the 6 colour changes and so far I'm pretty pleased with my colour selections (it sure took me long enough).

I had originally thought of knitting it in a solid colour, but in the end I managed to pick 7 yummy colours for a very subtle (I hope) gradation of colour from cream to the deepest purple. I am using the recommended Peruvian Collection Highland Wool from Elann in natural, rose pink, orchid pink, lotus blossom, grape, aubergine, and eggplant.

It's real quick (the start anyway) and fun to knit and I can't beleive how far I've gotten after just a few hours. Okay I realise that the rows just get longer and longer from here on in, but still! After Jujube's interminable blanket, a cool quickie is just what the knittin' doctor ordered. Yippie!

If you want to join the knitalong, drop me a line at annypurls {at} hotmail {dot} com.

Happy knitting!

Go, extra time, go!

The French, Italian and Portuguese nations were well represented in my northern suburb this week. There were flags everywhere! So even though we haven't really been following the tournament, we decided to have a bit of a World Cup party today. We put together an antipasti platter with bean salad and bruschetta in honour of Grandpa's team: Italy.

In honour of the French team (and Julian's love anything bready and anything dairy!) we had profiteroles for desert (they were still kinda frozen in the centre which explains his hilarious expression:

And me, I was rooting for extra time as I was furiously trying to finish my World Cup knitting project before the winner was declared. Needless to say I was thrilled that the match went into overtime ;0) And so here is my mitered square blankie for my Jubilee Bubilee (the embroidery on the border reads: for my little Julian, may all your days be filled with giggles, warmth and whimsy from mommy with love):

I even weaved in all the ends and finished off the underside as neatly as I could. Nice, eh?

So some of you may be thinking, "that's nice, but where are all the nursery rhyme whimsies?" And to you observant folks I say "shhhhh!" ;0)

Let's say I've been a little handicapped with the whole going back to work thing... I still plan on knitting them, but I'll do so on my own time and just add them on during weekend nap times here and there. So there'll be lots of surprises when my lovely awakes. At least, that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

And now, finally I get to start something new!!! Yay! Up next is a pinwheel sweater for my neighbour Emily. I got my yarn from elann this week and can't wait to get pinwheeling. I might start it tonight so that I can get gauge issues figured out and get it advanced enough that I am comfortable bringing it on the train tomorrow morning.

Have a good week everybody!

Working mom!

Well, I made it! I survived my first two days back at work after a glorious year off watching my itty bitty baby become a toddler. Surprisingly, it hasn't been as heartbreaking as I had thought it would be. Julian is having lots of fun with grandma and grandpa (and his auntie Libby who has been one vacation too)! And grandma, well she's a little tired ;0)



I haven't been blogging much these past few days...mostly because I've been holding Julian really close and trying hard to swallow the lump in my throat. I tried to take it all in last week. So not much blogging and practically no knitting. Julian was caught in my embrace since mid-last week and frankly didn't know what hit him ;0)

I woke up every hour on Sunday night convinced that I was late for work. I wasn't. When 5:30am finally came, I tiptoed to the bathroom while everyone was still asleep and got myself all ready. It was actually kind of fun to have a place to be and to have to go by a clock! I said good-bye to everyone though they were still very sleepy. Stephen had the day off yesterday so spent the morning with Jujube and then brought him to grandma's in the afternoon to "practice."

I had been doing super well until then, but kissing my little boy goodbye on Monday was really hard. I tried hard not to cry in front of him and made it out the front door bfore I started sobbing. Something about standing there all alone on the porch with high heels, a purse and my laptop bag, felt so final. I took a deep breath and locked the door, something I haven't done while standing alone on the porch in over a year. When I turned around to go down the steps, it felt weird to not have to carry a stroller or adjust a diaper bag on my shoulder.

I walked to the train, crying the whole way, got on and pulled myself together. Afterall, I was wearing mascara and had only brought 2 tissues with me. Plus everyone was staring at me and I felt really self conscious so I sucked it in and managed to keep my composure for the rest of the day. Except of course when my work friends would tilt their heads and ask if it was hard to leave him that morning, that got the water works going everytime. But mostly it was okay.

I only called once or twice to check up on everyone. It was a busy day back. My beloved (and much looked up to) boss left the company on really weird terms during my leave, so I came back to a new group, a new role, a new boss and even a new building! A new colleague has been showing me the ropes and taking me through my new assignment. She's been really great which makes the transition easier, but it was hard without Buzz, my former boss, there. That adjustment was probably as hard as being away from my baby.

I can't even tell you how great my former boss was. Really, he has been a mentor and father figure to me and really took me under his wing and showed me how to be the professional that I have become. I feel like I owe him my professional success and everything that that has meant for Stephen and I as we were planning our wedding and our financial future together. Buzz was there advising us every step of the way (proud as all get out like a dad, too ;0) . I heart that man and will miss him lots. Good thing his new office is just a few blocks away and we'll still get to lunch together every once in a while.

Anyhow, Stephen and Julian came to pick me up from work on my first day and we all went to the jazzfest together. It was around 9:30pm when we got home again and Julian and I fell asleep as soon as our weary heads hit the pillow. We were pooped. Today was easier. No crying at all. Not even Julian! And when we came home, Julian was thrilled to see us. He kept going back and forth wanting to be with mommy...and daddy...no, mommy...no, daddy all while clapping an squealing with delight the whole time. It's a really nice welcome home at the end of the day.

I think everything will be alright afterall. Now if only I can figure out when to get the knittin' and bloggin' in, I'll be golden.

Cheers!

PS - I may be blogging more sporadically as I adjust to my new reality and I hope you'll forgive me and continue to drop by every once in a while. I've grown to really appreiciate your support...plus no one cares about knitting like you do, and it's nice to exchange with people who "get it." I may not get to comment on everyone's cool new projects as much as I want to and I hope you'll understand that too... I will keep reading though ;0)