Mystic Light Shawl update

I finished part 1 of the Mystic Light Shawl tonight at Knitch. I'm ready for the next clue now! I'm really liking the look of the Numma Numma Saucy yarn. I took one picture with the flash and one without so you can see the color and stitch definition.




The next clue doesn't come out until next Wednesday. Knitting torture for the OCD knitter.

Bob's in training

Have you ever seen a falcon when it's in training? They use a hood on the falcon to keep them calm when they are not actually in pursuit of their prey. So I thought, since Bob seems to always be in a rather 'fowl' (not so subtle pun) mood, maybe he needs a hood too. For some odd reason, it seemed to have the opposite effect on Bob. He wasn't very calm and had a really bad attitude afterward.






Please understand I love my kitties dearly and don't torture them in this manner on a regular basis. Although, I had a dog when I was a child that I use to dress up in my sisters large doll clothes and then take his picture. He soon developed and odd fear of cameras and would run and hide under the bed any time he saw one. I still have the one of him dressed as Jackie-O complete with the sunglasses and scarf. He was totally fierce.

Mystic Light KAL has begun

I got the first part of the shawl pattern today. I took half a day of sick leave today, the neuropathy is still going on, and I have worked on it off and on between naps today. It has helped to keep my mind off the twinges that come and go, but with the pain meds I seem to kind of slow down and get lost in the middle of a row. That's when I know it's time for another cat nap. The kitties have both been very clingy with me today and hanging out with me in bed. Here is a picture of what I have done so far.



This one taken without the flash makes it easier to see the detail of the stitches. There is a cable along the neck edge and a braid going down the center back. I'm excited to see the next part of the pattern already.


Top Chef is coming on. More later.

today is a neuropathy day

I have had problems with neuropathy for several years and it can make itself known rather quickly sometimes. Last night I started having twinges in the left side of my face above the cheekbone and the eyebrow area. This morning it has decided to make my day interesting. I take a medication for it that does dull the pain, somewhat, but it also makes me a little zombie-ish. The pain comes in waves. If you've ever had shingles, you know of what I speak. This is just like shingles, but without the blisters on the skin. It usually only last a few days, if I'm lucky. This is the first time I've had it in my face. It's usually been my scalp the last few times. I have another hour to go before I can take more medicine... I swear it also has the ability to slow time.

GPS for knitters

I've been having issues with my new GPS unit this past week. No matter where I went I couldn't get a signal. At first I thought it was just some glitch because of the time change and it screwed it up somehow. I stopped at Radio Shack by my house on Sunday afternoon to see if they knew what was going on or if there was something I did to it to make it not work. The woman I talked to said to come back and speak with the manager on Monday. I called the help number when I got home and the tech told me to charge it as it may be because of a low battery. So I plugged it in and left it charging overnight and this morning when I turned it on, the same thing, no signal. It wasn't even locating any of the 10 or so different satelites it uses. So I dropped by the Radio Shack this morning and I told the manager what was going on and he looked at it and asked if I had bought it at Radio Shack, and I said I had. He said "hang on just a minute"... he came out of the stock room with a new unit and just swapped them out giving me the new unit. It worked as soon as I got to the car and turned it on. Yay! I was a little stunned and surprised that he just swapped them out without hardly any questions. This is the kind of service that will buy my customer loyalty for a LONG time. Too bad more companies aren't aware of this practice. Customer service means nothing. Customer loyalty means everything.

This whole GPS thang had us talking at the Friday Night Knit group. There should be a GPS system for knitters. *ding* "you are approaching a yarnover"... *ding* "after 2 stiches, make an SSK decrease"... *ding* "at the end of the row, turn and purl back" At least we got a good snort and giggle out of it.

I have finished my dad's socks but I haven't taken any new pictures yet. I hope they aren't too tight for him. I'm just a little worried they may be. I did file down the broken dp on Sunday at Knitch (on Lou's emery board) and it's made a full recovery. It's already on another sock project. I'm starting the Jaywalker socks with sock yarn I bought at SAFF last year. White Oak Studio tvyarn - Nightmare after Christmas colorway. I frogged the pair of plain tow up socks I had started with it last fall.


I think the Jaywalker pattern will be a lot more fun and show off the colors even better. (I also realized after seeing this photo again that my dad's socks were the second pair to be knit on the walnut DPs before the stress induced carnage. I had pulled them out of this sock to work on the other socks.)

I did sign up for a Knit-a-long. The Mystic Light Shawl KAL. They are still taking new people and will close signups on the 25th of March if you are interested in joining too. The last one they did was so gorgeous and I plan to go back and knit this one too when the current KAL is over. (Mystic Waters Lace Shawl) It's also in the database in Ravelry if you would like to see more photos of the finished shawl.

The cable sweater I've been working on, and now ripped back 3 times for errors... which has been irritating, but I like knitting cables, so I don't stay miffed for too long.


I'll be ready to wear it by SAFF next year I'm sure. It will probably already be too hot to wear by the time I get it finished. Maybe I'll have time for a second sweater and a possible costume change for SAFF. I wouldn't dare be seen in the same sweater 2 days in a row!! Don't be hatin' on me cause I'm an OCD knitter.

Knit-a-longs

How is it exactly one finds the fun and cool KAL's to join. I always seem to hear about them after the fact when they have stopped taking new people to join. I want to play too! Maybe I should just start my own KAL, with my own secret clues and passwords and stuff!?! Yeah, that's it... now I'm really losin' it. Yesterday was definitely a rollercoaster, but it ended well getting to see friends at the guild meeting. I can always count on my knittin' friends to raise my spirits and get me to laugh. Thanks y'all.

Back to the KAL's... We had Janet Szabo speak last night at the guild meeting and she was talking about a knit-a-long she had done and about knitting the next clue as fast as she could while the group was knitting on the previous portion. I just find the whole thing fascinating and getting to see how everyone interprets the pattern in different ways. Anyone have suggestions on how they find them? I really want to participate in the next Mystery Stole too. The stole last year was beautiful and I had a great time watching the progress of all the different versions. With beads, without beads, with the wing, without the wing...

My dad's socks will probably be finished tonight at Knitch. I worked with the glued dp for about 30 minutes last night before it broke again. So I dug out the circulars and was going to transfer all the stitches to two circs. After I got the stitches from the broken needle transferred to the first circ I thought, why don't I just use the one circ as a replacement for the dp. Duh. It slows me down a little having to pull the needle through, but it works and I can still use my beloved dp's. (happy grin) I learned to knit socks on dp's and it is still the most satisfying way to me. I've made them on the two circ's, but after using the wrong needle and basically starting to magic loop (which I really don't like) I decided it's just not for me.

The new and improved 'longer' sock.

The retired stick of torment.

I'm going to try sanding down the broken end to try to slavage a shorter usable dp from the remaining longer piece. I'll burn the shorter end and drink a gin martini (extra olives) to dispell any bad vibes left over from the incident. Just not at the same time within the area of the flame. Either it will work or I'll get a little buzz from the gin. Win, win either way. (Until the headache sets in.) Woo hoo knitter's gone wild.

Have you ever...

Have you ever had one of those days where everything seems to be working against you? You have you arms full of stuff leaving for work and knock a basket full of small decorative wooden eggs off the shelf on your way out the door, to the cat's delight... You spill your coffee on the way to the car... The stop lights are in collusion to stop you at every possible intersection... you get to within a couple of inches of finishing a project (dad's socks) and **SNAP** one of your expensive walnut double points has given up the fight. Maybe I was just gripping them a little tighter than I should. Could it be a sign that my stress level is still a little high? Maybe I should be working on metal double points until my blood pressure comes down again. I glued the offending devil's toothpick and hope it will get me to the end, otherwise I'll have to *GASP* use a circular! (Those of you who know me know how desperate I must be to even suggest it.)

Will the needle hold out till the bitter end, or will is dash all my hopes of my completing the socks today...
Only the needle knows...

Stay tuned for the next episode of "Doug's Difficult Day and the Perils of the Devil's Toothpicks"