Emptyknitster

Ok, I'm so sufficiently PISSED   upset that I wrote the designer of the shawl Semi Precious and said: Joyce, I saw the semi precious shawl and knew I needed to give it a go…so beautiful! However, I’m writing you a bit whinny- usually when someone in our family points a finger outwards a solution quickly appears and that solution is because of something THEY did! (here’s hoping!) - so here it goes: I wanted to knit a larger shawl and so I have knit chart B twice and have started chart B a third time (I think that’s what you implied in the pattern) and am doing the middle section three times each row. All was fine until I got to row 7, Chart B, I ripped it out and tried to reknit it several times last night and this morning. I keep getting an extra stitch at the center. I’ve checked the stitch count on either side (69 stitches with the one center stitch) and also the pattern row below (row 5) and all seems well. BUT I have that extra stitch - have you run into this p...

 Fall is in the air and the knitting continues! I completed two items this weekend, then turned around and started two more. There is another pair of socks using the Lala's generic toe up after thought pattern and also a shawlette that is featured in the fall Knitty now in the works. More on them later. Sam's Christmas sweater is complete: Pattern: #111 Children's Henley Top Down Yarn: Cascade 220 Heather Colorway: Japanese Maple Amount: 4 skeins Needles size: US 8 And I knit a pair of Griz mitts for myself: Pattern: Fetching Yarn: Cascade 220 Wool Colorway: maroon Amount: less than a skein Needles size: US 5

I've had early morning recess duty this week. It's like riding herd on cats - impossible! While doing my best to get 150 kiddos into the building after the bell, one of my little boys caught up and began walking with me. He said, "I smoked some weed yesterday." "Damn! Now I've got to call DFS. My whole day has changed in an instant!" I thought. Take a breath and get some details - DFS always wants detail, lots of details.... "You did this yesterday??" "Yes, my friend and I got into trouble. We started this fire in a grill and there were lots of weeds in it and there was a big fire and lots of smoke!" Whew, another bullet dodged!

Chloe was under the weather today and went to school with her mom. She kept busy while waiting... YEA! Another knitter in the family!

While driving up to Missoula I knit a quick pair of mitts for Christmas gifting. Pattern: Fetching Yarn: Patons Classic Wool Colorway: New Denim Amount: less than one skein Needle Size: US 5 I changed the pattern just a touch, putting 2 cables at the top. I have long hands and like the mitts to at least go to the bottom of my fingers. Also I didn't knit a picot edge. One more pair to go!

Hubby and I hopped in the car bright and early yesterday morning (6 am) and drove up to Missoula for the first home game of the season. It was a great game but then, any time they win is great! (Griz Cal Poly 37-23) A couple highlights: They scored in the first 11 seconds of the game. The Griz receiver scored on the first play of the game so someone in the stadium won $10,000. The combination of the two caused an uproar, an outstanding start to the season. There was a streaker on the field - common in the 60's but the poor guy will now and forever be a registered sex offender, bummer dude. The Billings Big-Sky Little League who went to the Little League World Series were honored! The state just isn't ready to let go of these guys. They are the first Montana team to make it to the series with the whole state watching every step! The All-star team including ME! The Griz game was over at 4:00 and we were home at 9:20. A long but fun day!

Today a package arrived for Cameron from Gramma.  He approached the package with a mix of anticipation and apprehension.  He knew that Gramma had heard of his desire for a sweater "zactly" the same as his old one, and he expected that the arrival of this package was a fulfillment of this request.  But the bar had been set high, for Cameron thinks that "zactly" is a term to be treated with mathematical precision. Like a dog approaching a stranger, he began by sniffing the sweater.  Luckily he that is where his animal instinct stopped, falling short of licking it or otherwise marking his territory.  Having passed the smell test ("This one smells like Gramma too."), he moved on to more empirical tests. The white pirate skulls were the same size, but the new one, lacking one year of non-stop wear, was at least five shades lighter. He checked the sleeve length next - the sleeves were not the same length due to a quick-fix to the old one during...

I've only had my third graders for a week and a half but I've fallen in love! It's been a few years since I've had little third graders. For the last several years they have been 8 years old going on 16! Last week I wore a dress three times and Friday when I wore pants one of the little darling girls told me, "You didn't wear a dress today. You look like a princess when you do." I'm wearing a dress tomorrow!

I finished this sweater Friday night. He had asked for it to be EXACTLY like the original...I hope the Pirate likes it because the new sweater isn't stretched out like the old one so it just isn't what he's used to. Pattern: Wonderful Wallaby by Carol A. Anderson Yarn: Plymouth Encore Colorway: Hunter Tweed, Taupe Amount: 4 skeins Hunter and a bit of Taupe Needles: US 7 and 5 I started another Christmas sweater, this time for Sam. Only one more after that!