Pooling vs. Flooding

Monday, March 30, 2009

I finished my blue socks with the annoying pooling and they actually look alright.

Since then, I've begun my sister's Swirly Hat aka, my official Blizzard KAL hat.  

I meant to do it a few blizzards ago but last weeks ended up being just fine... especially since it was an official snow day with classes canceled and everything.  Then, after one day back at school, they canceled the next two days so the students could help with the flood-fighting efforts.  So, in between sandbagging and staying caught up with homework, I've been working on this little hat.  I'm a little nervous about it fitting since a) I'm not very good at making hats that fit, b) I didn't exactly get gauge, and c) it's looking a little small even though gauge tells me it should be huge.  I'm just hoping that's because the provisional cast-on I used left a short piece of yarn in the edge that belies it's actual length.  Yeah, that's it.

As for the flood, we are fine here in Grand Forks (though some areas are not completely dry) and are expecting the river to crest mid-week.  Fargo seems to be safe but their dikes need to hold for a few more days at least while the water levels decrease... and they're getting hit with another storm today and tomorrow so hopefully that won't leave too much moisture.  Keep them in your thoughts, please.  

(I apologize for the horrible quality of the pictures but Kurt still hasn't found the digital camera that he took to winter camp last month...)

Breaking into Spring

Sunday, March 15, 2009

We're doing some spring cleaning today... it's not very fun but I will feel much better when the house is cleaner and a little more presentable because...  Jenna and Brian are coming to visit on Tuesday!!  I'm very excited.  We're going to have a potluck with some other knitters and hang out and catch up.

Here's what I'm currently knitting:

Notice the non-Circle of Friendship-ness of it.  That pattern looked really bad with this yarn so it became a plain Jane stockinette sock. Also, sorry for the crappy picture but Kurt took the digital camera to camp and it hasn't made its way back yet (he thinks he left it in the vehicle on the way home).  I loved the pooling of this yarn in my swatch but it didn't transfer to the sock.  The only way I can see to get it back would be to knit something with a very small circumference (like a baby bootie or circular swatch) and this yarn is meant for me so that's not happening.  I will just have to deal.

My sister was visiting this weekend so I lengthened the thumbs on her mittens last night while we tried to get her hooked on Firefly.  Then today I ordered yarn for her hat.

That's all the fiber news for this week.  It's my spring break so I'm hoping to get in some knitting time somewhere in between my studying and catching up with homework time.  I may also paint the bathroom.  We'll see on that last.

Have a great week everyone!

Mittens!

Sunday, March 01, 2009

Here are pictures from my sister of the Swirly Mittens.

The thumbs ended up being a little too small so I'll probably add on to them next time I see her. I made them a few rows shorter than mine because she has much shorter fingers than I do but I guess I overdid it.  Really though, the fact that there is a right AND a left thumb is enough for me at this point in time.  Jenna reminded me of Elizabeth Zimmerman's instructions for an afterthought thumb in the Knitter's Almanac and I had my little mistake all fixed up in no time at Susanna's house a couple weeks ago.

A couple weeks ago already.  Whew.  It's been rough.  I had my first Physical Chemistry test and am gearing up for my second Biochem test.  This one is on metabolism and I've been a little overwhelmed but am making great studying progress today.

  

I cast on for the Circle of Friendship socks the other night while watching a movie but dropped one of my cast on stitches and decided it was too late to start again.  I hope to have time later tonight to try again but we'll just see how that goes.  In the meantime, I'll just keep the pretty blue yarn on my desk as motivation.  ;-)