Worth it

For almost two years now, I've been dealing with costochondritis -- a condition of inflammed muscles & connective tissue between ribs -- which sometimes gets so bad I have trouble sleeping.  It's been bad all this week, and I've been resisting taking the NSAIDs around the clock, but the pain was interfering with my work.  As I'm currently the only gainfully employed member of the Plaid Patrol, it's rather important that I be able to work!  So I took some OTC NSAIDs Wednesday night, and followed with more eight hours later, and again Thursday afternoon.  I'd been afraid I wouldn't be able to enjoy the class in Fair Isle knitting, since I was hurting so.  But by class time, I wasn't in such bad shape -- still hurting, just not to the point of it being a total distraction.  And the class was just lovely, a real upper for my mood -- and I'm knitting a Fair Isle cap for a toddler!  I can so totally do this.  Had to buy some Dreamz needles (two sizes, there's ribbing involved), and I rather like them in spite of them being wooden.  I am just thrilled to be FINALLY getting to this year's "Knitting Resolution".  So, who else wishes they were Kate Davies cousin? 

Still plugging away on the Bunny Hop, but I think my "jogless" stripes on the first sleeve are kinda wonky.  I hate the thought, but I may have to frog & reknit, see if I can make that transition smoother.  Also, I think I may try carrying the yarn up the sleeve -- although it will always be two strands carried, I guess I can catch them alternately.  The stripes are all 8 rows deep, and I think I can use less yarn if I carry it along.  Sure hope I have enough!  Maybe the sleeves will be 3/4 length? 

What new craft techniques are YOU learning?  And who is your teacher?

Can you feel it?

I'm so excited: this Thursday & next I'll be taking a class in Fair Isle knitting!  AND it's at my most favorite LYS ever: Bliss Yarns in Brentwood.  Late last year I asked a Bliss staffer if they could/would add such a class to the schedule, and if so could it be in the evening.  I'll be able to have a quick bite between work & class, and the rush hour will be long over before I leave Brentwood.  I'm totally pschyed. 
The Plaidman had about two weeks of "his" day (June birthday, Father's Day), what with having to buy him a new phone about two weeks ago, followed by getting the new string trimmer the second weekend of June, and then plying him with chocolates & browines & new shorts yesterday.  All in all, a good haul for the old dude. 
I'm still plugging away on the Bunny Hop, got one sleeve just over half done.  I did take some time to swatch with some Paton's Wool & size 8 bamboo circular, for the Fair Isle knitting.  This quickly devolved into me practicing some Continental knitting & purling for a while, to get used to using my left hand to hold yarn. 
I've noticed that a lot of the bloggers I read regularly seem to be taking the summer off...kinda disappointing, but totally understandable for the ones with young children; summertime is often a special family time.  I'll be glad when the kidlets go back to school, I guess!

Bunny Hop

Oh boy!  The first two, and especially the second one, have more accurate color.  Since these were taken, I've put the body on a long stitch holder and started a sleeve.  I'm not allowed to bring a camera as such into the workplace, so I took these out in the parking lot and left my camera in the car -- I know, I'm lucky I still have it.  I like this yarn, which is Spud & Chloe Sweater.  There's just a bit more superwash wool than organic cotton, so it's soft, but breathes.  And yes, it looks like the ribbed hem will be "rolly"; sure hope it'll block out ok.  
Plaidman has assembled his Birthday/Father's Day gift: A Ryobi 4-cycle walk behind string trimmer!  He's been having problems using a trimmer that's carried, as the vibrations make his arthritic hands go numb & super stiff.  Disco has been told that her part of this gift will be learning to use it & spelling her Dad.  I can just see her tumbling into the drainage ditch with it....

Better (than...)

The injury to my arm has abated a good bit; thanks for all your good thoughts.  The Peerless Princess' Bunny Hop (http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/monkeybuttbabies-ravelry-store) sweater is now just a mite over 11 inches long, and I'll continue at a moderate pace.  I had a thought about the possible difference in gauge between the flat knitting of the body, and the circularly knit sleeves.  My purls are slightly looser than my knits.  The sleeves, being knit in the round, will not have any purls.  I dread the math that may or may not be required to make the gauges match up. 

We had a quiet weekend, good for remembering the servicemen & -women who've bought our freedom.  I thought about Big Tom a bit, and the Plaidman's brother (still with us, thank goodness), and of course Pup.  Pup was in training as part of the Army Air Corps, and he told me some stories about that time, while I was visiting this spring.  I tried to write down a lot of them, for Disco mostly.  Not sure if I can share them here.

The Plaidman was idle (how dare he?!?!) for a bit on Saturday, so I suggested he make some magazine holders for me.  I'd picked up some of the smaller postal boxes (hey, they're free & sturdy), and had a copy of a tutorial for making the holders, and Pup had given me a whole craft knife set (SCORE!!) -- so Plaidman went to work.  He's made two; I could probably fill a half dozen easily.  But before we get carried away making any more, I want to rearrange the bookshelf and look for other areas that could hold magazines if we cleared out some other clutter.  Shoot, I could probably get the Plaidman to put a shelf over the headboard--I should totally look into that.

Our one big celebration of the holiday was going to Centennial Park to listen to live blues.  Taj Mahal was the headliner!  I got lots of pictures, even a short video with our dinky camera.  So y'all have that to look forward to, once I get those off the camera and onto my flash drive. 

Work, work, work

I've about 8.5" knit on the body of the Bunny Hop sweater.  At 14.5" it goes on to a holder, while the sleeves are knitted.  Started on Thursday, after swatching earlier in the week, it looks super -- my gauge is consistent, spot on for row gauge albeit a little off on stitch gauge.  Somehow, it's wound up being about 34" wide, which is about what the pattern calls for (35" when buttonbands are added).  I did do some other swatching, for a coworker's gift of "muffatees".  But I really need to measure her hands! 
*** Above was written Tuesday, which was the day I went back to work after a mini-staycation.  I think I may have suffered a knitting injury, or more accurately, a knitting-or-reading-a-big-book-all-in-one-go injury.  My left shoulder is killink me; I could not sleep at all Tuesday night.  It's abated a little bit, but I'm taking a break from holding big books and from knitting for a couple of days.  Only, I really need to get the sweater done.  I have knit (on Tuesday) another inch on the body, and will try limiting my time with it starting this weekend (it's currently in time-out). 
Oh BTW -- the staycation was basically about giving DiscoDame a good launch into "spinsterhood".  We did a few chores & birthday shopping Thursday & Friday, then took her to a movie (Star Trek: Into Darkness -- a must-see for us fans!!), and dinner at one of her favorite eateries: the Waffle House!  I kid you not, she had a waffle for dinner.  I had the Official Old Lady Kit wrapped up for her, with all the wacky junk I'd been buying.  The reading glasses are way too strong, so we're thinking we'll give them to Goodwill.  No one in the house has dentures, but the denture crème is stored in the bathroom.

I got pictures!

Ok, I failed to take pictures of my nieces in their new made-by-me handknits.  And I really wanted pics of the Leaves of Grass fingerless mitts I'd made for Miss A.  So...I knit another pair, for me!  Check these:
http://www.ravelry.com/projects/AnnBan/elegant-alpaca-fingerless-gloves

And this weekend, after much swatching, I've started knitting a Bunny Hop sweater for the Princess.   This is in Spud & Chloe Sweater yarn, in colors Grass (more like green apple), Midnight (a dark teal) and Popsicle (either a deep rosy pink or a raspberry-like pink).  I'm chugging along on it too; making the largest size for Herself as she's tall for her age and very athletic.  Hey, Miss A got a sweater from Auntie Anna, so the Peerless Princess needs one too.  The best part?  Both the pattern and the yarn were a giveaway prize from Yarn On The House!  I am just thrilled to have it all, and will probably be sending pictures everywhere (to V, to the designer, to Spud & Chloe...you want a copy?) 

Today we're celebrating DiscoDame's 30th birthday.  I gave her an Official Old Lady Kit, with prunes & Milk of Magnesia, denture paste & wrinkle cream, a tube of BenGay, some reading glasses, some adult diapers (!!!boy did I get some grief over that!!!), and a muu-muu type housecoat with pictures of cats pinned all over it.  That's her Official Crazy Cat Lady uniform.  I took pictures, but I'd better not put them here; she knows where I live (since she lives there too....).  The Plaidman found a Plano tackle box in the size she wanted, for a lot less than the price at the outdoor store.  It's huge, and she's going to put all her beading gear in it.  By the time she gets it filled, she won't be able to lift it.  Anyway, part of the celebration is a visit to the library, so here we are.

It's getting silly...

When I got home last night, I had a package with a Royal Mail stamp on it.  The silk noil lace yarn has arrived, from Colourmart.  Good golly, but it's so very thin!  It looks more like sewing thread than yarn.  I may wind off a couple of cakes and try double stranding a swatch. 
I've bound off the distal end of the 2nd Leaves of Grass mitt in my pair -- this is what I'm calling my mod of the pattern.  And I picked up the thumb gusset stitches & knit the first round.  I should work two or three more rounds in stockinette, then four rows of k1p1 ribbing & bind off.  Weave in the ends, and have a pair I can photo & wear at my desk in the meat locker.