Monday, March 27, 2006

Wascally Wabbit

I didn't get very far on the knitted bunny this weekend. After finishing the second ear, and starting the arms, I realized that I would indeed run out of yarn. Phooey.

Also, I didn't like the top of the bunny's head. I'm modifying the original pattern, and I don't like what I did. I left two stitches on the front and back of the head to make a space between the ears. The stitches would be Kitchener stitched. Have you ever tried to Kitchener only two stitches? It doesn't work very well. Plus, there were some gaps where the ear stitches were joined, and in trying to pull everything together, I only managed to make bunny look like he had a bad brain surgery episode.

With only enough yarn left to make one arm, I put the bunny aside and picked up the Baby Blocks Afghan that I've been working on for the past few months. I started this last fall, and since it's for no one in particular, I 've only worked on it when I needed a no-brainer project. The pattern is from "The Shop on Blossom Street" by Debbie Macomber. I enjoyed reading here two "Shop" books, even though they were as sweet as marshmallow fluff. I tried reading one of her other novels, but just couldn't get interested in it. I guess it was the yarn shop setting and knitting content that held my attention.

Today I went upstairs and lo-and-behold, I found more bunny yarn! It was another partial skein of Bernat Meadowspun - from the 1950's! I forgot that I was trying to use it up in this project. Still, I think I going to rip out the ears, and give them another go, modifying the top of the head yet again. How many days until Easter?

Kitty Update - I made Rusty sick on Saturday. I had to run an errand, and since we had been outside exploring that morning. I thought he might like to come along with me in the car. He's done it before. He was fine going, but coming back he got very green (surprising, for an orange cat) and tossed his breakfast. When He got back to the house he just sat in front on his food dish, feeling empty, but not able to eat. I think his world was spinning, poor thing. I felt so bad for him. I hope he's not traumatized for life by this little episode. Cats have an amazing memory for such things. He's still not forgiven the vet for cleaning his teeth!

Saturday, March 25, 2006

First Knitting Content!

These are some of the pieces I've completed in the past month or so. I missed the dealine to enter the Official Olympic Knitting challenge, but I wasn't going to let that stop me. I set a goal to see how many Dale of Norway accessories I could knit during the Winter Olympics. The first piece I completed was this hat - from the 1995 Thunder Bay Book. I used Dale Heilo, and #1 needles, since I knit loosely. The hat turned out great, but it's too small for me. I made the ladies size, but this would really fit a a child. I wasn't paying attention to gauge, I just wanted to make a fabric that had a nice body - not to tight or too loose. I think if I make another in the man's size, it will be fine for an adult head.

The next thing I made were kid's mittens, also from Thunder Bay. Because the Heilo hat turned out small, I found some worsted weight yarn for the mittens, thinking they would turn out bigger. Nope, still kid sized! The light yarn here is an anciet ball of Bernat Berella, from when it was 100% wool, and the dark is K1C2 Parfait Solids. They have been sitting in my odd ball bin for a long time, and they go well together. I had yarn left from the mittens, so I decided to make another pair, in an adult size, but reversing the light and dark. This pattern is from the 1999 Vail Book. I didn't get these finished, I kind of ran out of steam.

Here's what I'm working on this weekend. It's a bunny, from an old (1970's) McCalls Special Baby Issue. I'm altering the pattern a little bit, to make most of it in one piece. I thought I might run out of my ball of leftover yarn, but now I think I'll be ok. I had planned to have a bunch of these done before Easter, but now I'll be lucky to get this one done. I'm still not sure how it will turn out.

Friday, March 24, 2006

Long time, no Blog...

Happy Spring! Even though it still feels like winter today, the generous amount of daylight is helping me wake up just a little cheerier each morning. I am not looking forward to the time change in April, when I get plunged back into darkness in the a.m. Just another thing the government messes with.

I really doubt if anybody's looked at this blog, but if they did, they probably gave up on it right away. I did too, until today, when I was reading someone's knitting blog, and remembered that I had one too! Well, sort of had one. Thanks to blogspot for not dropping me for no activity. I had tried another blog a year or two ago, and after 30 days of no postings, the host site dropped me like a hot potato. So I'm slow.

Anyway, maybe now I can devote a little more time to this, and have some fun with it. To that end, here's a photo of the two kitties, Rusty and Rollie, happily napping. Rusty is an 8-year-old British Shorthair, and 3-year-old Rollie is just Rollie. I got them both at the local Humane Society in 2003, after my cat Dusty passed away at the ripe old age of 18. Rusty is mellow, and Rollie is a spitfire. They keep me entertained, and are more fun than most people!