t w i g

awwwwe man...am i ever missing my camera...there have been so many great photo ops lately...sure i could take a few photos with my iphone...but it's just not the same...hopefully dad will visit this weekend and will bring it with...

sooo...i have a confession to make...i put aside the yucky acrylic blanket after finding a mistake and ripping back not 1 but 5 pattern repeats...instead i cast on and finish the rock island shawl...i knit it up in madelinetosh lace twig/brown colorway...it's a slightly late mothers day gift...the sad part of the story is...after i finished blocking it...i left it unpinned lying on my bed...turn my back to help my little guy and who decides to jump up and have a love affair with it? but my cat...so it is back soaking and currently blocking once again...i'm so frazzled...arggg...

on another note...i've been loving the cooler weather...sunny with a slight breeze...perfect for playing outdoors...destructo/damien has been spending more time outdoors then in...he's currently crushing on collecting bugs...he would like for them all to live harmoniously in his bug box forever...and hates to release them at night before he goes to bed...

on the needles...picking back up the chalice baby blanket

on vinyl...help, i'm alive by metric

yuckity...yuck...yuck...

is exactly how i feel...i'm currently in no way enjoying what's on my knitting needles...i was commissioned to knit up a baby/crib blanket in which they provided the yarn...let me just say that i'm pretty sure it's the worst acrylic known to human...it hurts my fingers, hands, and heart! however...on a positive note...i'm loving the pattern and will revisit it again with a much nicer yarn...

on the needles...chalice baby blanket

on vinyl...tree by the river by iron and wine

i know...i'm terrible...

i received this in my ravelry inbox this morning:

Sent at 8:14 PM Yesterday
hey Torchy,
I miss reading your blog entries! You’re fallen a bit behind eh?
luv ya
mum

soooo...i'm guessing that i should do something about it...

wow...i can't believe that it's been almost a year since my last entry...as you can see i'm terrible about posting regularly...but i'm going to try and update once a week...

i'm still knitting...and recently committed myself to wrapping ufos that have been sitting and collecting dust...not all at once but one a month...that way i can continue to knit selfishly and not feel guilty about it...

on another note...mother's day is soon approaching...and i've been thinking that it's about time to finally knit up the february lady sweater for mum...it's so bloody cold when you dine out during the summer months in florida that you usually have to carry around a sweater so that you don't freeze...it will be knit in acrylic...cause yanno spills happen and that way she'll be able to throw it in the wash...maybe i'll be feeling froggy enough to have it finished before she visits at easter...if that's the case i best get the ball rollin'...because i still have to figure out what color i want to knit it in and cast it on...

on the needles...or how about currently off the needles instead...i just finished with the knitting portion of the napoleon vest...and i'm still unsure if i want to attempt to try the crochet part or wait on mum...for she's the one with the amazing crochet skills...

on vinyl...hurricane drunk by florence + the machine

oh where to begin...

lets see...as you can see i have been knitting...just on a smaller scale/smaller things...on saturday i had this grand illusion of knitting a bike...so with a little floral wire...pliers...dpns...and scrap yarn...a few hours later it was born...my own little unicycle...yes i'm very aware that i'm a little strange...and now i'm thinking about knitting a few different styles of bikes...a tricycle...10/12 speed...bmx...mountain bike...maybe i'll even go as far as a knitted red radio flyer wagon...hmmm that maybe on the needles next...*scratching chin while cocking eyebrow* now where is my red yarn?

on the 25th of april we celebrated ricky's birthday and our 7th anniversary of marital bliss...this year i gifted him 7 olives in a jar with a tag saying "olive you" i told him for each anniversary we celebrate i'll knit him a new one and add it to the jar...he was surprised...and i didn't cave and give them to him early...



as for home life...well nothing much is new...dani will soon be finished with school and off to jersey to visit his dad for two months...he'll be returning home a little early only to be attending the 100 anniversary of scouting this year with his troop...and as for dami he has been loving the warmer weather...we've been spending the majority of our days outside in the sun gardening or in the pool/slip and sliding...every so often he'll put in a knitting request...the latest one was a rocket for oliver(his little blue bear)to ride on...

i've knitted a few other things...but haven't photographed/post them on rav...echo flower shawl in kiwi green is one of the 10 shawls in 2010...it's mum's for mothers day...i cast on and knitted a few pattern repeats then suddenly realized that i only had 375 yards...not even enough yarn to complete the shawlette version...i purchased the yarn a while back and was sure they wouldn't have anymore so i knit 7 pattern repeats...after blocking 42x19...dammit vontorchie pay attention...



on the needles...dad's sweater...

on vinyl...bad mans world by jenny lewis...

slackasser...

well...well...well...i know...i'm terrible...it's been so difficult for me to try to keep up with my blog...butwhatcannaisay...i'm a slack ass...however i'll try to be a little better about posting more frequently in the future...

i've been knitting on the regular which has kept me from insanity...it's usually quick little projects that give me instant gratification...even tho i really should be picking up my needles and completing some of my bigger projects...sorry dad...i'm still working on your sweater...you'll get it one day...i badly want to get the damn thing done but there is something i just don't like about it and i'm itching to rip it out and start over...it's hard to push on...and i know that's why it's taking me foreva...

i set two goals for myself for the new year...to read 52 books in 52 weeks...and to knit 10 shawls in 2010...i don't know what i was thinking at the time...but i'm starting to believe that these two goals are attainable...so far i'm lovin' the book goal...i'm reading some great books...and blowing up my library card that's for damn sure...unfortunately i haven't started on any shawls just yet...but i will be pretty soon...so that's all that's new in my part of the world...until next time...

on the needles...three more of these cute little bears...and dads sweater...

on vinyl...uprising by muse...

whoots on my hooters...

i am happy to announce that i have finished my owls sweater...it's too freakin cute...and warm too...i may just add a set of eyes on one of the owls...if i do it'll be the back of the left shoulder...also i finished knitting up dami his slippers...i renamed them his zippy mcflippy's cause when running threw the kitchen he continually does the splits or busts his butt...i guess i better hurry up and knit dani a pair or i'll never hear the end of it...i have more then enough yarn so they'll end up with matching ones...i've really been enjoying this cooler weather...there is nothing better then cracking the windows and letting in all the fresh air...sure seems to be doing me some good...well...off i go...i want to try to finish dani's slippers before he returns home from school...that gives me about an hour or two...




on the needles...hmmm...dad's sweater...and to finish up loki...

and on vinyl...rock lobster by the b52's

whoa nellie...

look at me go...as you can see...i've been a knittin'...as a project rolls off my needles...another is being cast on...it's a miracle i say...there is nothing like a quick gratifying knit...i knit myself the slouched tuva hat...great one evening knit while watching tv...and while my mum was visiting for the weekend she wanted to snatch it up...but i would not let her...maybe after the season is up i'll consider it tho...while visiting she brought me some cascade ecological wool so that i could knit myself up the owls sweater...i knitted up the sleeves last night and cast on for the body today...so far it's knitting up rather quickly...and i'm loving it...i have a few ideas in the back of my mind for some quick x.mas gifts however we'll have to see how long my knitting mojo last for...i have to cast on for my dad's hemlock blanket...but i'm presently using that circ for my sweater so i'll have to wait till it's off the needles...


i may do a drive by michaels to pick up some lion brand thick and quick for some slippers for the little one...who hasn't been feeling the greatest...saturday night i had to take him to the hospital...he was crying/complaining that his ears were sore...and whatdoyaknow...a double ear infection...he's been a little more clingy then usual...but that's to be expected...i'm thinking maybe some slippers will make him feel a little better...while i'm there i better pick up some yarn for dani...he's been wanting me to knit him up a slouch hat...he's been wearing one of my old ones and now thinks that it's his...

on the needles...the owl sweater...dad's sweater...and i still have yet to pick up a darning needle to finish up loki...i dunno how i lost them all...but i did...

and on vinyl...the rake's song by the decemberists