tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6362970400576270262024-03-05T13:10:45.584-05:00Distracted KnitterMusings of a slow knitter and fast readerHeatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18372397390475269747noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-636297040057627026.post-71805757195330690482008-06-23T18:51:00.003-04:002008-06-23T18:58:26.758-04:00And, it's a sock!<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13973346@N05/2601715199/"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13973346@N05/2601715199/" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Finished yesterday. Mate to be cast on soon. It fits pretty well! I think I will add about a quarter-inch to the next one before beginning the toe decrease.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18372397390475269747noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-636297040057627026.post-55375262702380711622008-06-19T15:16:00.016-04:002008-06-19T20:16:15.030-04:00Beach Knitting: or, How I Started Knitting a SockYarn fumes. That's the only explanation for how I went to a yarn shop looking for a summer project for beach knitting, and ended up knitting a woolen sock. The yarn fumes overpowered me.<br /><br />I guess I should back up and explain.<br /><br />The munchkins and I spent the first week in June at the beach, on North Carolina's Outer Banks. We shared a beach house with my best friend and her husband and daughter, who's about Carolina's age. I had lots of lovely knitting time, as Arden still takes a morning nap, so my friends would take the girls to either the beach or the pool and I would stay home with Arden. Then all the kids napped in the afternoon. <br /><br />None of the projects I had going before I left really struck me as beach knitting. Too <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/distractedknit/florida-sunshine-scarf">warm</a>, or too <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/distractedknit/delta-shawl">heavy</a>, or too <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/distractedknit/pacifier-clips---flower">fussy</a>. I brought along the materials to make a little lace <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/distractedknit/arrowhead-lace-headband">headband</a> for Carolina, which I started successfully on the first morning. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXzFX7_bjbw7TnyOcNAsCE9Vga-brNP099aeq1eKom2vXJxmQHXXsZlMgt2Nv7Fyn3r_XDDc1yrrIhiiEpCK0sqfyA0oZQV6HSpRwfCmQRBbrnjU8eSJkf1NaHBSabjDimK1yDS6ZFQ_E0/s1600-h/NCBeach2008+077.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXzFX7_bjbw7TnyOcNAsCE9Vga-brNP099aeq1eKom2vXJxmQHXXsZlMgt2Nv7Fyn3r_XDDc1yrrIhiiEpCK0sqfyA0oZQV6HSpRwfCmQRBbrnjU8eSJkf1NaHBSabjDimK1yDS6ZFQ_E0/s320/NCBeach2008+077.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213694687197042370" /></a><br /><br />It hummed along while the only other person in the house was asleep, but I am not a person who can knit lace and pay attention to anything else. So I needed a project that was easy but not boring, summery, and could be done while the kids were up or while hanging out in the evening.<br /><br />As luck would have it, I just happened to know that there was a yarn shop only 4.2 miles from where we were staying. I just happened to have Mapquested directions to it before leaving home, and to have taken note of its location when I passed it on the way in. So that afternoon, during naptime, I headed down to <a href="http://www.knittingaddiction.com/">Knitting Addiction</a>. There, I explained my predicament to owner Jeanne and her sidekick, <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/people/BeachBumKnitter">Brittany</a>. Of course, they agreed, I couldn't knit lace with munchkins around. After some discussion, Jeanne said, "What about socks?"<br /><br />"Oh, no, no," I said. "I've never made a sock. I don't want to knit socks. I don't want to <em>learn</em> anything on this trip, I just want to knit something fun. And wool is not beachy or summery. And I do not like DPNs. They stick out in all directions. My work gets all laddery. I do not like them, Sam-I-am."<br /><br />Jeanne tried to persuade me that the ladders were easily avoided, that using DPNs on a sock is much different than using them to finish hats, that socks are addictive and that if she couldn't knit socks, she might have to kill people. But I stood firm. She backed off. <br /><br />Meanwhile, two women bounced into the shop and declared that they wanted to make socks. They were on vacation together with their families and they wanted to learn socks. One of them needed to learn to purl first, but by golly, they wanted to knit socks. <br /><br />Jeanne moved to help them, showing them patterns and yarn for adult socks and for baby socks. She explained that if they chose baby socks, she could get them started and then they could come back later in the week for help with the heels and toes. I sneaked a look at Jeanne's adult sock pattern while she talked, and I even carried around some sock yarn for a minute. But I quickly put it back. <br /><br />The soon-to-be sock knitters agreed with Jeanne's baby-sock wisdom and were soon ensconced on cushy couches, munching pralines and casting on. I continued to peruse the store, petting everything again, admiring the many knitted samples and original designs, and discussing with Brittany the merits of various possible projects. I finally settled on a tank top pattern and chose two lovely shades of Vermont Organic Fiber Company's O-Wool Balance, a blend of organic cotton and wool yarn. Brittany even modified the pattern to fit me exactly! <br /><br />While Brittany wound the yarn, I called the beach house and learned that we needed something with which to ignite the charcoal to cook dinner. I trotted down the shopping center to what looked like a convenience store but turned out to be a gourmet shop. Yes, they sold charcoal, the lady said, but no matches or lighters. She agreed that they probably should carry these items.<br /><br />I returned to Knitting Addiction and sat down on the couches near the sock knitters to wait for my yarn, explaining my cooking-fire predicament. Jeanne and Brittany generously decided they could part with their birthday-candle lighter ... and what a profitable decision that turned out to be.<br /><br />I'm not really sure of the sequence of what happened next. All I know is that I watched the women beginning their socks, and Jeanne said something about the pattern and yarn she had seen me consider. They let me knit a bit on wooden DPNs (I had used mostly metal before) on a project they had going. Wow, I thought, this really isn't hard. And then, somehow, I had bought the needles and yarn (Cherry Tree Hill Supersock DK), and Brittany was winding it. Very clever, that -- wind the yarn before the fumes wear off, and I can't change my mind! A copy of their pattern for Basic Socks a la Jeanne, and I was good to go.<br /><br />That night, while watching TV, I cast on the sock. It seemed pretty easy -- Jeanne's basic pattern is very simple and easy to follow. After I got the ribbing going, I decided I really should start swatching the tank top. So I cast it on too, and did a few rounds. It seemed OK ... but I went back to the sock. And that kept up all week. <br /><br />When I got home on June 6, the sock was this far along:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi10xlkqICmkYT-eWks0JD3EXmBaDFj9C4Jip_O0ferX1Nr6TLHpaxbUPtc9nXr1u3Ib-kl-rnRkwq9qIwHkNJIxh2fu1o-j9l3p2xREEahlXXyIDJ5XfSV2FMMNlG0Kq75HyEFHmP6lAyX/s1600-h/NCBeach2008+074.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi10xlkqICmkYT-eWks0JD3EXmBaDFj9C4Jip_O0ferX1Nr6TLHpaxbUPtc9nXr1u3Ib-kl-rnRkwq9qIwHkNJIxh2fu1o-j9l3p2xREEahlXXyIDJ5XfSV2FMMNlG0Kq75HyEFHmP6lAyX/s320/NCBeach2008+074.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213694676063664482" /></a><br /><br />The tank top swatch was this far along:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdi6hh0Hc1cd_W70QilBVQhSKazMkD173lGYSwOz8h_kSXX4ZQXTEau_oatqVW8uIv1NlEZNcFMYlMHou2z8CJh7fkEN6BXUeQxyosAJaKy4kj98Ek9fsoHpldpnJKb3_FUR5cmLOMe2pd/s1600-h/NCBeach2008+081.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdi6hh0Hc1cd_W70QilBVQhSKazMkD173lGYSwOz8h_kSXX4ZQXTEau_oatqVW8uIv1NlEZNcFMYlMHou2z8CJh7fkEN6BXUeQxyosAJaKy4kj98Ek9fsoHpldpnJKb3_FUR5cmLOMe2pd/s320/NCBeach2008+081.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213694662984392722" /></a> <br /><br />I have knit a few more rounds on the tank top swatch since then. But I haven't been able to put the sock down (in Distracted Knitter terms, that is). I turned the heel at <a href="http://www.wwkipday.com/">WWKIP Day</a> in <a href="http://www.fallspark.com/">Falls Park</a> last Saturday, and finished the gusset at Wednesday night knitting last night. Today, it's this far along:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW3mnPP3q8IzEdtABsfemoR9UnrbErZa74pgkjq63YTfSaReUW7N6Db531d3bOUqyS8oxkY1atm1JshviFEgwGCb2P2ztIrdV7fKGRSJfIN0sTMuXPbLyI9LABMOYMSmE1v_zT-NXOG28v/s1600-h/1stsock061908_1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW3mnPP3q8IzEdtABsfemoR9UnrbErZa74pgkjq63YTfSaReUW7N6Db531d3bOUqyS8oxkY1atm1JshviFEgwGCb2P2ztIrdV7fKGRSJfIN0sTMuXPbLyI9LABMOYMSmE1v_zT-NXOG28v/s320/1stsock061908_1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213743766013986498" /></a><br /><br />If I can manage to knit while watching <a href="http://www.hbo.com/thewire/">The Wire </a>tonight, I should be decreasing for the toe in no time. That's a big if. And the tank top? Well, I hate to say it, since Brittany did all the calculations to modify it especially for me. I still love the yarn, but I can't get too enthused about the tank top itself. I'm thinking blanket. Carolina has been after me to "knit her a blankie," and Arden needs one too. But first, socks. I still don't know how it happened, but I do know why they call that shop Knitting Addiction.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18372397390475269747noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-636297040057627026.post-75225960808077554612008-06-19T15:13:00.002-04:002008-06-19T15:14:39.297-04:00Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18372397390475269747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-636297040057627026.post-74333617312918855582008-04-09T16:15:00.004-04:002008-04-09T20:17:55.844-04:00Harlot reduxLucky me, I got to see the Yarn Harlot again in Atlanta this past Sunday! My mom came with me again, and we drove down in record time, since Arden at 10 months could stay home with big sister, Daddy and Grandpa. We met up with <a href="http://www.theknittinggreen.blogspot.com/">Becky</a>, whom I met at the Greenville Knitting Guild's <a href="http://scknittingguild.com/">Knit Inn</a> back in February. She blogged about it, I didn't. She's a lovely person and we hit it off immediately; it was nice to see her again.<br /><br />This is my mom and me outside Knitch, in front of their scarecrow bird thing. It's knitting, of course!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtnw4wiNEZ599fJT4vk80CTdhppg6WJMkRtfzBfJsxHEjltu8DL8yEcDeZlb1jGWs34sh3n1BT8vrhgZT4ntrNPYCSQzAx-JNDmk0mtZrUz9UnBpqfIpEA-Te2jZQcgJLZeZ2CWB0ktDvu/s1600-h/harlot08+059.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtnw4wiNEZ599fJT4vk80CTdhppg6WJMkRtfzBfJsxHEjltu8DL8yEcDeZlb1jGWs34sh3n1BT8vrhgZT4ntrNPYCSQzAx-JNDmk0mtZrUz9UnBpqfIpEA-Te2jZQcgJLZeZ2CWB0ktDvu/s320/harlot08+059.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5187356849212584450" /></a><br /><br />This time around, we got there in plenty of time to hang out at Knitch on the comfy couch before lunch, peruse the shop, buy some things (thanks Mom!), see a friend who ended up in the First Sock Brigade, and more. We had lunch (thanks Mom!) at Atkins Park Restaurant, which offered $5 off the bill to knitters, and then got in line for the Knit-In. This is Becky and me in line outside the theatre:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfQBANTiuMVo0pHBwJK4W2pe11q5j8XmoLvcgbe0yKZy_tu_AemZ6vAth4pNdclzdK-ynYyXxNPmye2xzyGricGT7FSCmUt6QVgl2tLj9KVFMo7qUafwoN4DdoHq6Na8RaMbJQLTTLhYLL/s1600-h/harlot08+064.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfQBANTiuMVo0pHBwJK4W2pe11q5j8XmoLvcgbe0yKZy_tu_AemZ6vAth4pNdclzdK-ynYyXxNPmye2xzyGricGT7FSCmUt6QVgl2tLj9KVFMo7qUafwoN4DdoHq6Na8RaMbJQLTTLhYLL/s320/harlot08+064.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5187356862097486354" /></a><br /><br />The line went fast, and in we went. We knit, we chatted, we checked our raffle tickets with bated breath. There were lots of raffle items, and Becky won a class with Annie Modesitt. I was really hoping for one of the $25 Knitch gift cards, so I could go buy Addi Turbos in the size I need for the shawl I'm working on, but it was not to be.<br /><br />Then the Harlot came on, after a horrible day which is detailed on her blog, and was as funny as ever. We stayed for the signing afterward, which took place upstairs at Knitch, and the second set was delayed enough by the "preboarding" to give me time to pump breastmilk while my mom and Becky waited in line. This time, we got a good picture with the Harlot herself:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWmLG4KjlfaFVnavJmNbBXStQrJlveJzL1P1eoi3zlL24p5_7VWsJUtU3L7Qkj5eS9iIj1cIj2AdyLi_zlx2UMys9hM7vHwUUMDYH1hLWwgjlAcSHC2dKvR0myYR5ywDwP1YBIUi8eu919/s1600-h/harlot08+070.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWmLG4KjlfaFVnavJmNbBXStQrJlveJzL1P1eoi3zlL24p5_7VWsJUtU3L7Qkj5eS9iIj1cIj2AdyLi_zlx2UMys9hM7vHwUUMDYH1hLWwgjlAcSHC2dKvR0myYR5ywDwP1YBIUi8eu919/s320/harlot08+070.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5187356879277355554" /></a><br /><br />I got to hold the sock, and Stephanie is holding the bottle of wine I brought her. It's called "Dyed in the Wool," from New Zealand, and has a sheep on the label. She also signed a bottle of it for me. I hope it helped take the edge off the wait for her suitcase to arrive.<br /><br />It was a long, exciting day. Becky went home after the signing, and my mom and I had Thai food for dinner. We were going to try a Thai place at the other end of the alley from Knitch, with a sort of jungly garden, but it was empty and the proprietor unfriendly, so we went to another Thai restaurant just in front of it, on the main drag (Virginia Ave.?). I think it was called Surin. Very friendly, very busy, very good.<br /><br />During the day, I made good progress on my Delta Shawl. It's a pattern I bought at Earth Guild a few years ago, started, messed up, and tossed into hibernation. I frogged it Saturday night after a failed intervention to fix the mistake, and started over on the drive to Atlanta. I will try to post pictures soon.<br /><br />The Sweater That Will Not End is all knitted! Now I just have to sew it together and finish it. I bought buttons for it at Knitch, so I have no excuse now not to finish. I have a number of other FOs to talk about too, so I will try to get another post written in a timely manner. Let's see how distracted I get.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18372397390475269747noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-636297040057627026.post-42192404679261229792008-02-14T21:01:00.005-05:002008-02-14T22:01:51.209-05:00A Very Happy Valentine's DayApparently, there are some people out there who don't like Valentine's Day. I am not one of them. When I was a kid, my favorite holiday was Christmas (what kid's isn't?). But as I have gotten older, Christmas has come to seem too much about presents and not enough about love and family. My favorite holiday has become Thanksgiving, with Valentine's Day in second place. I think some people expect too much of Valentine's Day, get disappointed, and so dislike the holiday.<br /><br />My daughter's preschool class has been learning that Valentine's Day is about showing love to the people you care about, your family and friends. They had a great class party and they took turns delivering valentines to their friends. However, the Valentine Decorating Guild was apparently on strike for the past week, until the strike was broken by an artistic babysitter, so Carolina's valentines to family members didn't hit the mail until yesterday. Better late than never.<br /><br />When I was little, my mom sewed valentines for me and my sister. I remember two heart-shaped pillows in particular. One was pink calico with lace on one side, and the other was a patchwork of flannel, lace-trimmed, with my initials in the middle. I wanted to show pictures of them, but they are still at my parents' house, and my sister reports that hers are still there too. I'll be sure to bring them here next chance I get.<br /><br />So I think of Valentine's Day as a day to make fun, low-key presents for my family. Last year I made Carolina a little purse. This year, I made her a felted flower.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5167031926798726514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNAoH4ztK0W5Ig-qvMPZy7LyPvmwtFxLjVCupQlD20r9flJku-lrnFwBOmCwDIXCOPQWSmYM-kfNFVivNcYQsRLuBysABGdjO_8y6DD0RKjgs5SMjCpLWMwtWG0DYKQ9YJQMsbg48oiI15/s320/flowerfelted2.jpg" border="0" /><br />The pattern is Felted Flower Child (I skipped the hat part) from Itty Bitty Hats. It is made with various colors of Lamb's Pride Worsted and Mauch Chunky. It started as a pin, but it's rather big, and when I tried to pin it on her this morning, I managed to stick myself. I yowled, and she jumped away and absolutely refused to have it pinned anywhere on her clothing for fear it would stick her. We discussed making it into a barrette, but as I mentioned, it's rather big, and I don't think she has enough hair to hold it. So, we've decided that I will remove the pin, sew the flower on a headband, and then she will feel safe wearing it.<br /><br />After I had started making the flower, I saw <a href="http://mochimochiland.com/weblog/?p=14">this pattern</a> on Ravelry, and decided that my husband must have a handful of hearts. So I made the little hearts for him, and the big one for Arden (so he can chew on it without choking).<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5167031943978595714" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI8S1A7W0fQBbtiCI1BPO9DPUFxccEUXeNtWyauC5DgguqhO6MsunSnwzmif4qLynIJuykn-Hcc_7kKG16lxZEg6TLHoPLRUe6FsNg_xEtqu7L2cbXySGWHSOuz0xqeTSWQk_dXGI8iw-O/s320/heartsfinished2.jpg" border="0" /><br />The red hearts are Cascade 220, done on size 6 needles. The blue heart is Manos del Uruguay, two strands held together, done on size 11 needles. I spent all my kid-free moments for the past week knitting, felting and sewing up, and what fun! How nice to have such tiny projects that even a distracted knitter can finish them quickly!<br /><br />My husband and I have a tradition of making fondue for Valentine's Day. We've done it every year since we first started dating. Last year, we let Carolina join us. She had fun, but ... umm ... it wasn't the same. He had to work tonight, so we're having our fondue night on Saturday and I made Valentine pizza for dinner tonight.<br /><br />Before baking:<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5167031952568530322" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjAMCcR2VXbtYc4XqULGszYPKa8qgEFOpYls4166zufj5oTV9th9NHZf0AHtrZ4tcgOa8EWG3c9UfHoaDQOsuwp1oHVZJokBFVo2caT-9NVZacpFLjyjfQbNGOrhqfcOM6YR5jQ_nmNV1p/s320/valentinesday+009.jpg" border="0" /><br />And after:<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5167031956863497634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2vM_e5NeFvVvqOilylcKqBxNsVXdvg8QjPPBuVlqcaLXdmU0jxhNxiY94Ca5IRpJHGkNcs_L65IQor9Z09jyOEIiQ-3iAP_1fAgBdUP5EOodr-iJnstjjn4qFINcoHGtZlxen0Cn47nUG/s320/valentinesday+010.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br />I happened to buy little Valentine cookie cutters at A.C. Moore yesterday when I went in to get the stuffing for the hearts. I thought I might make cookies, but didn't, and decided that the cutters would be great for making Valentine pepperoni.<br /><br />Oh, and my Valentine's present? A lovely bouquet of white and purple daisies that turned the water purple. It looks really cool in a crystal vase.<br /><br />Happy Valentine's Day!Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18372397390475269747noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-636297040057627026.post-1175827609732649282007-12-05T16:25:00.000-05:002007-12-05T16:49:35.321-05:00We'll make a knitter out of this oneSeeing the Yarn Harlot at four months must have inspired him. I looked down while reading my email today and saw this:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyBK8REydceJISUCEzfJD77y-3nMitqVmRH3C-EDkdp9LHvkoEYHbG9t1WsOcgbH5XtZnR-WvIxe-EGFFDtUfF8vgQieSP3JDjTnlcpO_9xyRaUBrPqwrPEGXg0KDwLWtvpvoIYn6MvGNL/s1600-h/arden_yarn+001.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyBK8REydceJISUCEzfJD77y-3nMitqVmRH3C-EDkdp9LHvkoEYHbG9t1WsOcgbH5XtZnR-WvIxe-EGFFDtUfF8vgQieSP3JDjTnlcpO_9xyRaUBrPqwrPEGXg0KDwLWtvpvoIYn6MvGNL/s320/arden_yarn+001.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5140607009190473842" /></a><br /><br />Just like Carolina, Arden loves yarn. I just have to untangle him from it every so often.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeszAnu84XNBiFdLxg9S880KPKSoY0WHNnuaO-en5i9OiXksgpmVFI3VBpzioA8lq6mCvTDFqCLg4MltuBP-L7pL7Sr_qCejxki1Z1CsUTfLWFD2KlQtJEWpk-2tnbEv8D9g5KgMijQp-r/s1600-h/arden_yarn+002.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeszAnu84XNBiFdLxg9S880KPKSoY0WHNnuaO-en5i9OiXksgpmVFI3VBpzioA8lq6mCvTDFqCLg4MltuBP-L7pL7Sr_qCejxki1Z1CsUTfLWFD2KlQtJEWpk-2tnbEv8D9g5KgMijQp-r/s320/arden_yarn+002.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5140607017780408450" /></a><br /><br />Before someone gets alarmed, I am right here next to him. He is not left unsupervised with yarn. And, considering the news lately, it's probably safer for him to put yarn in his mouth than toys.<br /><br />Carolina turns 4 in a week and a half, and she's getting needles and yarn for her birthday. I received advice from a little girl at <a href="http://www.ashevillehomecrafts.com/">Asheville Home Crafts</a> on which needles to buy, so I hope she was right. That was, incidentally, an excellent little shop in the Grove Arcade, with a selection of nice yarns and supplies, and a lot of knitted items for sale. My husband saw a hat he liked -- just a simple tight cap with an inch of ribbing -- and I wrote down the measurements to make it just the way he wants it. I already have yarn for it, but he's very picky about the fit, and this hat fit him perfectly. I hope I can duplicate it.<br /><br />I did finally finish the back of the Sweater! I'm nearly through one side of the front. I have delusions of finishing it by Christmas, but ... well, I have two little kids. And I'm easily distracted, after all.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18372397390475269747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-636297040057627026.post-10564390462966190062007-10-06T17:42:00.000-04:002007-10-06T17:50:02.010-04:00ToppingsI finally got around to doing a little finishing. Here's "Arden's" Marley and the pink hat I made for Carolina (as Big Sister shall henceforth be known. It's her favorite alter ego). Both were just waiting on their toppers.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_7o9gY6cHeYkvoY0C8VM39Z5fdSGud01AsrraAtqiQdTQehlm5e-749UAis3_nUybsfFkiP0ieQKdZxjg1b8h1UV2qg7FObDrLqWUjhtIqh2XpW9nZSXRFODwIF77BO7CgP9Vt2EuVVNE/s1600-h/hats_modeled_1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_7o9gY6cHeYkvoY0C8VM39Z5fdSGud01AsrraAtqiQdTQehlm5e-749UAis3_nUybsfFkiP0ieQKdZxjg1b8h1UV2qg7FObDrLqWUjhtIqh2XpW9nZSXRFODwIF77BO7CgP9Vt2EuVVNE/s320/hats_modeled_1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5118343772325532034" /></a><br /><br />Arden's hat has the marley topper my mom was so kind as to finish for me, and Carolina's has the fleece topper described at the front of the Itty Bitty Hats book. I thought her hat looked good without the topper, actually, but she insisted, and who am I to argue?Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18372397390475269747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-636297040057627026.post-37280919054950562342007-09-27T16:25:00.000-04:002007-09-27T16:54:31.996-04:00One finger and one ball of pink yarnInspired by <a href="http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/archives/2007/09/22/last_stop_on_the_train.html">Edison</a> (scroll down), and in an attempt to get Big Sister to leave me alone with Ravelry for five minutes, I started teaching her to <a href="http://www.knitty.com/issuesummer06/FEATfingerknitting.html">finger-knit</a> today. <br /><br />I loved finger knitting as a child, and my sister and I would turn out festive garlands of blue and orange acrylic. I can't remember us ever doing a thing with these. It was definitely an example of the process being more important than the product. I think we might have unraveled them and reused the yarn; it seems like we did more finger knitting than the yarn supply would otherwise have allowed.<br /><br />I did some more finger knitting a few years back, when I was teaching kids to knit and crochet at the library where I worked. I would start them off with finger knitting, and most caught right on ... except one little girl who couldn't get the hang of lifting off the loops, and would end up cutting off the circulation to her fingers. She just kept wrapping and wrapping. I have bright pieces of finger knitting attached to all of my luggage, to make it easy to spot at the airport.<br /><br />So I sat Big Sister on my lap, and we began. I started with her using all four fingers, but she said it was too tight, and quickly became distracted (must run in the family) by Baby Brother and the dog, who were both interested in why we were sitting on the floor. Then I decided to try it with just one finger -- finger crocheting, if you will. She liked that, and produced a piece about an inch and a half long. Then she said she was finished, but that she "will knit some more tomorrow." So I cut off the piece she had made (pink, naturally), tied it off, and strung a button on it for her. She's very proud of the bracelet she made:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiviH1chCpvj418Y9dSmUrllHq4P3K8vZlE1KWZKJu-MIi7lzL9XV-EHRyoHKVJSRw8_Uotzbo6CcYj6QHZHacOsoFGaznnOiFZyv38hXRqH2phRfrUg7BpWJNnnVWHrxwu_PeWNak6ciMg/s1600-h/finger_knit.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiviH1chCpvj418Y9dSmUrllHq4P3K8vZlE1KWZKJu-MIi7lzL9XV-EHRyoHKVJSRw8_Uotzbo6CcYj6QHZHacOsoFGaznnOiFZyv38hXRqH2phRfrUg7BpWJNnnVWHrxwu_PeWNak6ciMg/s320/finger_knit.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114988997077489426" /></a><br /><br />I have promised to teach her to knit when she turns four. When that day rolls around, it will be interesting to see whose patience runs out first.<br /><br />Oh, and the five minutes of Ravelry? Didn't happen.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18372397390475269747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-636297040057627026.post-16829155655926929672007-09-21T12:50:00.000-04:002007-09-22T16:03:03.423-04:00I knit (one row) with the Yarn Harlot!I've finally got a few minutes to write about our whirlwind trip to Atlanta to see the Yarn Harlot on Wednesday! My mom came along and we took Baby Brother with us, since he's happiest getting his breastmilk directly from the source. Between a late start and a couple of nursing stops, we didn't get there in time to visit the yarn shop before the event, but we were in line to get into the theater about 15 minutes early. Then a woman behind us asked the staff if we could jump the line since the baby was getting hungry, and they agreed. Everyone was so nice, and Baby Brother seemed to enjoy swaying in his front pack all through Stephanie's talk. She even put our picture in her blog <a href="http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/archives/2007/09/21/atlanta_charm.html">entry</a>!<br /><br />Here we are before the Harlot started speaking:<br /><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5113106860575505554" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbuKGKgAjaYGeUYEpzm9Z2lgVA-c1_j2Se8SFy7S7LVRwJw_1lWwxpQlwPOj0s1JvlnWd-cjIb48jUCf40GvXL9n2T1EC8cwniVNcmcBdPYsmXuuM5-p2aShSruHtUpyxXLhSOZHVSvNIW/s320/Yarn+Harlot+006.jpg" border="0" /></p><br />I managed to knit one whole row of The Sweater That Will Not End while swaying back and forth with the baby. So I can truthfully say, as our event T-shirts proclaim, that I knit with the Yarn Harlot. The hat he's wearing is the Rainbow Marley from Itty Bitty Hats, done in Knit Picks Shine Worsted, as yet lacking its marley topper. I loved making the hat and finished it months ago, but didn't enjoy fiddling with the topper. It requires casting on 18 stitches, then binding off 17, casting on 17, and repeating this eight times. Essentially, it's all first row, and so not much fun.<br /><br />My mom is really a quilter, but she gets the urge to knit for new grandchildren, and she's been working on a sweater for the little man. She brought it along on straight needles, and it wasn't suited for knitting in the close quarters of the Hilan Theater. Lucky for me, I had the marley-topper-in-progress along, so she finished making the pieces for the hat. Now I just have to attach them. Thanks mom!<br /><br />This is the three of us during the raffle:<br /><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5113110790470581410" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1cLXvy45R8FGIjCnHQgNH6nzshGcChbcMSI0a_mSIiXJ-5o9WCINXX3SJlMS5FrizE2ck8e4ODEYFbcwtlYwAuOUqvc-0GCTsA8eSGlR7z3ZE3UBRFEy53kr5_w0vO6osE-PCYQhTkWte/s320/Yarn+Harlot+008.jpg" border="0" /><br /></p><br />It was awesome to finally hear Stephanie in person. I wanted to go to Nashville for her visit there last year, but didn't make it. She is just as funny and insightful in person as she is in writing. <br /><br />What was even better, though, is the new connection the trip forged between my mom and me. She really enjoyed the talk as well, and has been reading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/At-Knits-End-Meditations-Women/dp/1580175899/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/105-1762294-0194029?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1190490566&sr=8-1">At Knit's End</a> since we got home. She said that nearly all the stories are just as true if you substitute "quilting" for "knitting." <br /><br />We've been knitting together for the past couple of days and discussing knitting, quilting and the power of craft. Some of her closest friends are in the quilt club she's participated in for over 20 years, and anyone reading this blog probably counts knitters among their best friends. Stephanie talked about the stereotypes of knitters as lonely old ladies and how the truth is very different. Knitting, quilting, and other crafts bring all kinds of people together. I guess that's why I call myself a distracted knitter instead of a person who sometimes knits -- I love the community that knitting brings together.<br /><br />And speaking of that community, a big "thank you" to the staff at <a href="http://www.knitchknitting.com/">Knitch</a> and all the very nice knitters who let us go to the front of the line, both to get into the theater and at the booksigning. Thanks, Stephanie, for making your signature "fish face" at a very tired baby, making him smile in spite of himself. Thanks for putting us on your blog, too! Finally, thanks to the nice woman at Knitch who recommended the Osteria restaurant down the street. We all had a lovely meal, and the baby slept all the way home. What a great event.<br /><br />P.S. I almost forgot -- I got my Ravelry invite in the morning before we left for the Harlot. I have logged in but done nothing else yet; my username is distractedknit.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18372397390475269747noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-636297040057627026.post-65203275635428784022007-09-18T16:57:00.001-04:002007-09-18T17:01:47.990-04:00We're off to see the Harlot ...... the wonderful <a href="http://www.yarnharlot.ca/">Harlot</a> of yarn!<br /><br />Today, work. Tomorrow, Atlanta! I can hardly wait.<br /><br />And, it's a red-letter week for me. I'm almost into Ravelry:<br /><br />Found you!<br />You signed up on July 5, 2007<br />You are #14232 on the list.<br />302 people are ahead of you in line.<br />19254 people are behind you in line.<br />41% of the list has been invited so far<br /><br />I must have done something the knitting goddesses liked this week. Don't know what; it didn't include knitting.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18372397390475269747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-636297040057627026.post-90863386084977984122007-09-12T15:26:00.000-04:002007-09-12T15:30:17.140-04:00Maybe in a few weeks...Found you!<br />You signed up on July 5, 2007<br />You are #14232 on the list.<br />2244 people are ahead of you in line.<br />17904 people are behind you in line.<br />37% of the list has been invited so far<br /><br />I am very IMpatiently awaiting my <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/">Ravelry</a> invite. Boy, what a marketer's dream that Ravelry is. The talk of the knitblogosphere, over 30,000 interested knitters, the distracted knitter's next excuse. Wish I'd thought of it. Can't wait to get in.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18372397390475269747noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-636297040057627026.post-45089162423678803592007-09-09T14:18:00.000-04:002007-09-09T14:24:48.599-04:00Greenville knitting groupLynnHB asked in the comments about the knitting group I mentioned that meets at Barnes and Noble in Greenville, SC. The group's regular meetings are at Panera Bread Company on Fairview Road in Simpsonville on Mondays, 7-9 p.m. Sometimes there are weekend meetings at the B&N on Woodruff Road. Locals can keep up with impromptu meetings by joining the Yahoo <a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NwAnon/">group</a>. It's a great bunch, and includes knitters, crocheters and spinners. Possibly other crafts, too; I seldom make it to the Monday meetings, so I haven't met a lot of the members.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18372397390475269747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-636297040057627026.post-87597447079468997422007-09-07T11:28:00.000-04:002007-09-07T11:38:31.422-04:00I. Use. The. Handknits.<a href="http://www.masondixonknitting.com/">Ann and Kay</a> like to point out that handknits are meant to be used. I made a batch of dishcloths last year, and took a nice picture of them:<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/upstateknitgirl/KnittingFiles/photo?authkey=_Pwk-cTDPao#5106101031743316610"><img src="http://lh6.google.com/upstateknitgirl/RtyD1chQ4oI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/cqXC_E7i1A8/s400/teapot_warshcloths_06.jpg" /></a><br /><br />Here's what they look like now, after a year of hard use:<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/upstateknitgirl/KnittingFiles/photo?authkey=_Pwk-cTDPao#5106100464807633330"><img src="http://lh6.google.com/upstateknitgirl/RtyDUchQ4bI/AAAAAAAAAHo/7ma4GvgpVR0/s400/teapot_warshcloths_07_1.jpg" /></a><br /><br />Now, granted, the pictures were not taken under the same conditions, because we've moved since then and I used a different camera. But it's clear they are well-worn and well-loved. I launder all my dish towels and warshcloths on hot, which has taken its toll along with the dishwater and the scrubbing.<br /><br />I can't understand why some people, like my mom, consider knitted dishcloths too heavy and thick for washing dishes. I'm glad she told me that, though, so I don't waste time making them for her. I'm slow and distractable enough when I'm making things people actually want.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18372397390475269747noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-636297040057627026.post-19075591551532277332007-09-06T16:07:00.001-04:002007-09-06T17:10:07.442-04:00Distracted by local events<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/upstateknitgirl/DistractedKnitter/photo?authkey=irSL6XchAvQ#5107198803909337794"><img src="http://lh5.google.com/upstateknitgirl/RuBqQMhQ4sI/AAAAAAAAAKk/gzGlOMn0pz0/s400/Bike%20race%20018.jpg" /></a><br /><br />This is the <a href="http://www.usacyclingchampionships.com/index.php">USA Professional Cycling Championships</a>, held here in Greenville this past weekend. It's one of the downtown laps of the road race, before they took off for the loops out over Paris Mountain. This event is a great example of why we moved to Greenville. We love that a smaller (than South Florida) community can attract world-class events like this one. Our weekend guests loved all the activity, Big Sister loved cheering for "the bikers," and we love that we live minutes from a beautiful downtown with all kinds of amenities.<br /><br />Of course I didn't knit, but in going through my knitting pictures I realized how productive I was right around Baby Brother's birth! In addition to the hats featured in my first post, I made this:<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/upstateknitgirl/DistractedKnitter/photo?authkey=irSL6XchAvQ#5107199061607375570"><img src="http://lh5.google.com/upstateknitgirl/RuBqfMhQ4tI/AAAAAAAAAKs/OZiY6T0m_W4/s400/striped_preemie_hat_2.jpg" /></a><br /><br />It's a preemie hat for a friend's baby, made with three colors of KnitPicks Shine Sport. It's the smallest of the hats but also the one that took the longest, because of the fine yarn and the fact that I'd never started a project on DPNs before, nor knitted an entire project using them. My other hats have started on circulars and only switched to DPNs to decrease. Pattern is the Preemie Beanie from the March 2007 Creative Knitting magazine.<br /><br />I have another hat that's almost done. But my production has greatly fallen off in the last couple of months.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18372397390475269747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-636297040057627026.post-59367536307721001602007-08-25T13:38:00.000-04:002007-08-25T14:22:37.554-04:00Books distracted me this weekI've been plowing through books of late. While lots of reading isn't unusual for me, I've probably read half a dozen in the past week or so, which is a pretty quick pace considering I have two small kids and just started back to work part time. One of those kids is breastfeeding, which still affords me quite a bit of seated reading time, so that helps. Right now I have a couple of nonfiction books going, as usual, but I've been reading novels back to back. I've gotten into one of my husband's favorite authors, James Lee Burke, and have read several of his books, two books by his daughter, and several other mysteries and thrillers in recent weeks.<br /><br />But it's a different kind of book that I just finished last night, and I think it's one that will stick with me for a while. It's called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Post-Birthday-World-Lionel-Shriver/dp/0061187844/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-6817015-7184033?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1188063946&sr=8-1">The Post-Birthday World</a>, by Lionel Shriver. Irina McGovern is forty-two, happily all-but-married to her longtime partner, Lawrence, when she meets a dashing friend for a traditional birthday dinner. In years past they've been a foursome, but Ramsey is now divorced and Lawrence is abroad. When Irina is seized by the urge to kiss Ramsey, she must decide whether to resist temptation and stick with steady-but-sometimes-stodgy Lawrence, or go for broke with sexy snooker pro Ramsey.<br /><br />In alternating chapters, the rest of the novel shows where each potential choice leads. As in real life, both choices have their good and bad consequences. Some parts are like watching a train wreck, but overall this book shows the results of decisions many people face at one time or another. I couldn't put it down, and I suspect it will be some time before I can get it out of my head. It would be great for book-club discussions; I just wish I were still in one.<br /><br />No knitting to report.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18372397390475269747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-636297040057627026.post-46704970450308229182007-08-19T16:12:00.001-04:002007-08-19T16:28:28.209-04:00Six rows or more!Last night, I knitted! This is because I left the kids at home and met people at Barnes and Noble to knit. And unlike what often happens, I did not look at knitting books. I did not browse the latest knitting magazines. I knitted.<br /><br />To be fair, I did have a cup of coffee and a slice of delectable Lemon Raspberry Cheesecake. I'm sure this did wonders for my postpartum weight loss plan, but since I'm relying on the <a href="http://www.blockbuster.com/catalog/movieDetails/23774">Think System</a> for that, it's not progressing too quickly anyway. As I said last time, it must have been the breastfeeding that helped me lose the baby weight, because it sure wasn't diet and exercise.<br /><br />I knitted and chatted for nearly two hours, and lost count after six rows. Considering my progress of late, that's lightning speed.<br /><br />In case anyone was wondering, the hats in the post below came out of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Itty-Bitty-Hats-cuddly-babies-toddlers/dp/1579652956/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-6817015-7184033?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1187554709&sr=8-1">Itty Bitty Hats</a>. The one with the fleece topper is Simple Baby Cap 2, knitted with Mission Falls wool. The other two are Simple Baby Cap 3. The blue one is knitted with Manos del Uruguay, and the pink one is Mauch Chunky and Tahki Bunny Print. I have made several other hats out of this book -- among my favorite knitting books -- and they may turn up in future posts once I sort out pictures.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18372397390475269747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-636297040057627026.post-57087777381609498112007-08-17T16:18:00.000-04:002007-08-18T14:40:11.967-04:00Finally, I blogI've been meaning to start a knitting blog for quite some time. But I'm such a slow knitter, and I keep getting distracted by new books, my kids, new arrivals from NetFlix, and general laziness, that it seemed kind of weird to start a knitblog when I won't often have finished items to show.<br /><br /><br />I mean, <a href="http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog">Stephanie</a> seems to have a new item to show every week. Lots of other bloggers seem to make progress. But, how many rows have I knitted in the past week? Three. And this on a sweater for my 3-year-old. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwD-qzpRwqHPoL4wuIcE2fS4i7rttVOp0_9q-1W3dzg1T01oAjUc6sZROQaWubMVw23x4nu4jm1DcGsLRJ1vHXo8-ORvlsWwuBKtP8DEGu1TFc36B9Yz_B-L2LYf_jCZ2xCA-FgkrukkJW/s1600-h/blue_newborn_hat.jpg"></a>And when did I start this sweater? Last summer. Luckily, the pattern seems to run big and she seems to run small.<br /><br />Now, to be fair, I've made quite a few things in between, including <a href="http://www.masondixonknitting.com/">warshcloths</a>, hats, and -- oh yeah -- a baby brother for my sweaterless one. He got a hat:<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5099839970153127810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwDzDPKwKnzZIr5lf8plVCOcbT3arrWiOQb7ZxJgxU9FL7WC2aykOyi4naX6uvTl9i4jCnEug-gaprsPWy-t7Ar2pXODNAhxOWOtqo8UAhRCt7K_t-q4e4a_MMLjBS1JuC5l2kGagzFtrs/s320/blue_newborn_hat.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div></div><br /><div>Three hats, in fact, although one won't fit him for -- ahem -- a few years. Gauge was a bit off. Big Sister got a hat, too, in the flurry of pre-birth nesting/knitting: </div><br /><div></div><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRu2fptGUGUtr9mEeK7x7ieLNsb8vN81snmi5BpWdfgsVCDyB-Sk84UNG6SDE7hyW0wKDwqDHG5BcBZldg3-vf3RLkmpnPa98-VHUIl_tRrE9V9VOA6raszHq85bsgqgJgGiCqb97CnhQd/s1600-h/pink_hat.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5099830495455272802" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRu2fptGUGUtr9mEeK7x7ieLNsb8vN81snmi5BpWdfgsVCDyB-Sk84UNG6SDE7hyW0wKDwqDHG5BcBZldg3-vf3RLkmpnPa98-VHUIl_tRrE9V9VOA6raszHq85bsgqgJgGiCqb97CnhQd/s320/pink_hat.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><br /><div><br /></div><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRu2fptGUGUtr9mEeK7x7ieLNsb8vN81snmi5BpWdfgsVCDyB-Sk84UNG6SDE7hyW0wKDwqDHG5BcBZldg3-vf3RLkmpnPa98-VHUIl_tRrE9V9VOA6raszHq85bsgqgJgGiCqb97CnhQd/s1600-h/pink_hat.jpg"></a> </p><div><br /></div><br /><div></div><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GbIuwD8U554/RsY4kshQ3yI/AAAAAAAAABI/siMssJR_5II/s1600-h/Aidan_EMFD_knithats_060207+044.jpg"></a><br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRu2fptGUGUtr9mEeK7x7ieLNsb8vN81snmi5BpWdfgsVCDyB-Sk84UNG6SDE7hyW0wKDwqDHG5BcBZldg3-vf3RLkmpnPa98-VHUIl_tRrE9V9VOA6raszHq85bsgqgJgGiCqb97CnhQd/s1600-h/pink_hat.jpg"></a> </p><br /><br /></div><br /><div></div><br /><div><br /><br />And so did an <a href="http://www.afghansforafghans.org/">Afghan</a> baby, as part of the Mother's Day drive:</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjYzn4ekCzomYrzRDo-cGosmKMZ8ZIl8fol867Amooz92F4A_MiMxZymH0lf4TRBG_rkURNFHG_WnPMZfa3bU67vNZm5dribEH6igKOVWtyt7sRAI1RE_3SBWBMcHHqSB7oLOZgXsAToyt/s1600-h/blue_afghan_hat.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5099830482570370882" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjYzn4ekCzomYrzRDo-cGosmKMZ8ZIl8fol867Amooz92F4A_MiMxZymH0lf4TRBG_rkURNFHG_WnPMZfa3bU67vNZm5dribEH6igKOVWtyt7sRAI1RE_3SBWBMcHHqSB7oLOZgXsAToyt/s320/blue_afghan_hat.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div></div><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div>But this sweater kept getting put off, and so did the blog. One of the blog problems was what to call it. Everything I thought of turned out to be taken. Finally, yesterday, I hit on the perfect name: Procrastiknitter. Cute, catchy, descriptive.<br /></div><br /><div><a href="http://theprocrastiknitter.blogspot.com/">Taken</a>. <a href="http://procrastiknitter.blogspot.com/">Twice</a>, actually, although the latter is out of date. But I was thrilled to find an interesting new blog in the case of the former. Most of my knitting tools, though not much of my stash, I inherited from my grandmother, so her August 10 post resonated. But, I digress. It occurred to me that I am quite a Distracted Knitter, so I'm going with that.</div><br /><div><br />Here's the sweater I've been procrastinating:</div><br /><div></div><div></div><div></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizbVbhHfSl44ErTok_wSe7XSKwpjtIO4_iYlbZgVF4PCMWwatqQ66EzI_YRlzIR0fcYb5uduCEgNoPtXLM5WtxinSXszCEipMKEq2a6c24ym_CrJ3qJhAdueStoNcPxjQMPah1DJADFFaJ/s1600-h/081707+026.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5099805537400315650" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizbVbhHfSl44ErTok_wSe7XSKwpjtIO4_iYlbZgVF4PCMWwatqQ66EzI_YRlzIR0fcYb5uduCEgNoPtXLM5WtxinSXszCEipMKEq2a6c24ym_CrJ3qJhAdueStoNcPxjQMPah1DJADFFaJ/s320/081707+026.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><div>It's Max's First Cardigan from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Yarn-Girls-Guide-Kid-Knits/dp/1400051711/ref=sr_1_1/002-6817015-7184033?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1187397110&sr=8-1">The Yarn Girls' Guide to Kid Knits</a>. This is the back. The first part to knit. Acres of double seed stitch, which might be why I keep procrastiknitting it. Before I get to do any shaping, it has to measure 15 inches from the cast-on row. It measures 8 1/2. Main color is Cleckheaton Country 8-Ply; trim colors are both Cascade 220 Superwash. I think.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Must keep knitting. But meanwhile, I've spent all this perfectly good knitting time figuring out how to use Blogger. Maybe tomorrow! </div>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18372397390475269747noreply@blogger.com2