My Olympic Shrug

I actually finished the shrug this past Wednesday, but the batteries in my digital camera were flat and had to be recharged. Here is a picture of it. Not a great picture, but the best I can do with it lying on the floor.

I also caught the 'Panta' bug and had to knit one up the other night. I know what you're thinking, what the hell is a Panta?!? That's what I said at first, too, then I thought someone had tried to type 'pants' but hit the 'a' instead of an 's'. Anyway, Panta is a Finnish word for headband, and this thick version of a ski band seems to be a trendy little fad going on all over the place right now. You can wear it over your ears to keep the wind out, or it's the perfect thing for a bad hair day! If you want to click on over to Craftster.org you will find a thread there with over 500 replies on the infamous Panta, with lots of pictures (and detailed instructions on Page 4.). I could NOT get a decent picture yet of the one I made, try though I did; I am not talented at taking my own picture to begin with, so the least hideous picture made me look drunk with a head the size of a watermelon. Oh, well, maybe I'll make one of the kids model it for me later. For now, if you want to see one of these things, just click on over to Craftster.

This afternoon I started another illusion scarf, this time a Skully Pirate one for Brittany, who, you guessed it, is into pirates! Picked up the yarn in pink and purple, just like she wanted, and cast on a couple hours ago. I think this one will go a little quicker, since there about 12 less stitches per row than on the alien version.

Gimme an 'F' !

For my finished pair of February socks, that is! This fun 'Sock-a-Month Knitalong' is my absolute favorite!

These were made with Lion Brand Wool-Ease in Wheat and Green, and in Magic Stripe Bright Spring. The pattern is 'Fancy Heel Socks' from the November 2005 issue of Creative Knitting Magazine. I liked the pattern, and have the perfect pair of backless shoes to wear them with. They really are cozy and warm! The self-striping yarn was only used on the leg (carried with the other yarn) so I think I have enough of it left over for another whole pair of socks, and since I don't have to buy any more yarn for that pair, I guess it would make them free, huh! Well, close enough to it to make me feel like I got a bargain, anyway!

Koigu?

On the left you will see Maizy trying to figure out a way to help me knit, even though she has no thumbs! Her job usually is to sit beside me and watch whatever it is that I'm doing. In front of her, you can see how much of the Olympic shrug I have finished, which is both sleeves and a teeny bit of the back that I cast on this afternoon.

How in the heck does a person pronounce the name of the yarn, "Koigu"?!?! I've read so many blog posts raving about it for socks, and I've seen it in so many cool colors, but what, exactly, would I say if I needed to ask for it? Is it a French sort of word (Kwa-Goo), or is it the Japanese style (Coy-gu), or just some other pronounciation like maybe (Koo-Goo)? I seem to think that the last syllable is simply (goo), as in the baby jibberish 'goo-goo'. I don't know why, I just think it is. The first syllable, though, I really just can't figure out for certain. Seriously, it has been buggin' me so I really MUST find out how to say it! I would really love some feedback on this, please, anybody out there in Blogland!

My Olympic Progress, etc

Okay, so the picture is not very impressive, but it shows how much I have done on the sleeves. The one on the right is 'on hold' until the one on the left reaches the same size, just to make sure both sleeves are actually gonna be the same length!

Tonight was the night last of the 2006 Westminster Dog Show and a very nice-looking Colored Bull Terrier named Rufus won. There was some stiff competition in the final seven tonight! The Pug and Rottweiler were beautiful also.

Back to the knitting related... I have been as busy as a cat covering up its own poop today! The kids made peanut butter Valentine treats for the dogs, I made chocolate cupcakes with pink strawberry icing for us humans to eat, and I finished this Knitting Needle Roll to donate to an auction to raise money for a Boston Terrier Rescue. Here is a close up of the pretty Asian Brocade I used on the outside of it. I LOVE this fabric!



One cool thing about the Red Hot Sizzlin' Sock Knit-along is that you only have to knit ONE pair between now and July! Red is my favorite color but I was glad to find out that I didn't have to knit only red socks for the next 4 months!

Its getting late, I'm getting really sleepy - probably too sleepy to be typing since I had to respell 'Olympic' like three times - so I'm gonna go take a bath and go to bed.

1st night of Westminster

I was busy watching the first night of the 130th Westminster Dog Show tonight. (It's my dream to one day make it there with one of my own dogs so I had to watch) It's like the Doggie Super Bowl! Of the group winners so far, I like the pug and the Rottweiler. The Boston didn't win group, not surprising because they are usually overlooked in the crowded Non-Sporting group. Tomorrow night I'll also be rooting for the German Shepherd in the Herding group and the Bloodhound in the Hound group. Yep, I'm really into dog sports!

So I didn't have time to take any pictures today, but promise to tomorrow. I'm coming along pretty well with my Knitting Olympic Shrug and I have started my second 'Fancy Heel' sock.

Another thing I really like is Knit-Alongs, as I guess you can tell by the ones listed in my side bar. I'm trying to figure out just the perfect yarn to use for the 'Red Hot Sizzlin' Socks-Along'.

One Fancy Heeled Sock finished

Yesterday I finished my first in a pair of Fancy Heeled socks (pattern from the November 2005 Issue of Creative Knitting Magazine). It actually fits my foot and turned out pretty nicely! Capone, my little Boston Terrier, seems to like it, too, because he just had to stand on it and sniff its praises right when I snapped the picture!
I started to take the picture over but figured, hey, this is for a blog and blogs are sort of supposed to show how things are in real life, and in my real every day life my dogs are right there with me all the time, literally sticking their little noses into everything I do. So I hope y'all like the picture!

I mentioned in a previous post that I had, like about 4000 other knitters, joined the Yarn Harlot's 2006 Knitting Olympics. I really, really do NOT like watching anything Olympic on television, or hearing about it, or reading about it in the paper; it's just not my thing. I do home school my three kids so I made the whole bunch of us watch the opening ceremony last night - for its cultural and historic value - and my kids were equally unimpressed with it. Talk about some boring stuff, there was like an hour of the athletes from all the different countries walking into the arena and waving. Seriously, a solid blessed hour of people walking behind their flags and waving! Well whoop-te-doo! Watching a stop watch for how many minutes of my life were wasted watching that boring crap would have been way more exciting. The part that had something to do with a salute to the Renaissance was kind of cool, but the other THREE HOURS kind of sucked. Just my own opinion, no offense meant, like I said, I am just not into it.

But I do think the Knitting version of the olympics will be a lot of fun. Anyway, Here is my progress on the 'To Fringe or Not To Fringe Shrug' I'm working on (pattern from the January 2006 Creative Knitting Magazine) That's the beginnings of the first sleeve. Not very impressive, as you can tell, since none of the dogs stuck their heads in the shot.

The Alien Illusion Scarf is finished!

It is done, and it took quite a bit longer to knit up than I had expected (and, of course, I did work on some other stuff while I was working on this), but it was worth it. I did add a 'Knit one Purl one' border to each side so that it doesn't curl up. I'm afraid the pictures really don't do it any justice, either, since it looks a whole lot cooler in person. I made this for Amanda and I believe she likes it, especially since she is into Science Fiction and UFOs and fun stuff like that.


I joined the Knitting Olympics today, even though I had said I wasn't going to, but hey, I think it sounded like fun. And I just happen to be ready to start a new knitting project tomorrow anyway, so I figured why not go ahead and join up with the 3500 other Olympic knitters! Can you believe how many people are signed up!

Snowy, Messy Afternoon

It is a snowy messy afternoon here in Western Kentucky, let me tell ya. It's not even the fun type of snow you can sled in and make snowballs with; no, it's just the kind that melts on its way down to the ground, making a slushy muddy mess.

I am soooo close to finishing that Alien Scarf, I can't stand it. If you notice on my little Knit-o-meter progress bar thingy on the right, I am now over 90 % done! By tomorrow night I WILL have it finished, oh yes I will.

I am having fun with the socks I'm working on. Much prettier than the last little pair of blue ones.

I got to spend some time today working with Maizy and Pixi (two of my Boston Terriers) on their Agility Weave Poles, or 'weavies' as we call 'em. They have an agility trial coming up in early March, so they like getting in some practice. It will be Pixi's first time in the ring and I think she'll do just fine. It's a good thing we have their practice poles in the house 'cause it's too dang cold to do it outside.

My New Knitting Needle Rolls

Yep, I had to make myself two new needle rolls, so now all my needles are organized.

I think the little one for my double points is the cutest, and I like that it matches my knitting bag. The purple one is yellow on the inside, and I have plenty of room for even more needles. I made sure to have enough slots for all 19 sizes of needles plus room for plenty of extra stuff.

I was a busy knitting this weekend, too. I'm making progress on the Alien Illusion Scarf because I'm bound and determined to get that done this week. And I finally got to start the Fancy Heel Socks I'm been looking forward to making.

My New Knitting Bags!

My old bag that held my knitting stuff was really old and crappy-looking, so, since there was a fabric store with a huge moving sale going on, I thought I'd take advantage of it and make myself a couple of new ones. I love the fun colors, and they both have enough pockets to hold all my little gadgets! The fabric on the orange one on the left is a lot prettier in person, it looks almost handpainted. The green one is big enough that it could most likely hold enough yarn to knit a sweater for an elephant and a hippo blanket at the same time. I finished the green one last night and stitched up the orange one this morning. I think they turned out pretty cool!

The Mail Lady finally brought the sock yarn I've been waiting for, so I'll be able to start my next pair of socks tonight! And I have some pretty new yarn just waiting to be turned into a shrug, but it has to wait until I finish the scarf I'm working on.

My only problem is that my leftover material from the knitting totes is bothering me. It's seems to be calling to me..."make a knitting needle roll out of us...we won't let you sleep until you do...."