Buttons? That Must Mean...

Cable #41 is done!

Yes...I finally finished it! Of course, you would think finishing would mean a long and lengthy Button Quest. And for once you'd be wrong. You see, the pattern calls for covered buttons and what did my loverly sister give me this past Christmas? LoRan Creative Button Buttons. A bit of leftover yarn and TA DA! Perfectly matching buttons! My yarn weaving wasn't as tight as I would have liked so add a little hot water and some friction, TA DA! Perfectly matching felted buttons! There are still a few spots where the plastic shows through, so I'm adding a little around the edges. A little more felting and I'm calling this a finished object.

And just in case you thought my fears of running out of yarn were unfounded, here is the amount I have leftover. That's a large paper clip for comparison.

Hello Again...

Thank you everyone for the kind words about my Great Aunt Becky. I've been taking those in-between moments during the day to reflect on life. I can't say I have any answers, but I am realizing more and more how much I need to renew my goal to spend more time with my loved ones and celebrate every moment we have together.

There was a small memorial for Aunt Becky on the East Coast this past weekend and although I really wanted to be there, the $400+ air fare kept that from happening for a lot of us on the other side of the country. So we did the next best thing. We had a West Coast memorial for her. It was a nice afternoon of good food and better company. And I found out that Aunt Becky knew Ella Fitzgerald when they were both Lindy Hoppers at the Savoy Ballroom. How cool is that? Although she told me she loved dancing, she didn't mention that little detail.

And as far as knitting goes, I finally finished the body of Jacket #41. I'm now working on the cable neckband edging. I am sweating a bit, since I think I may not have enough yarn. I was planning on skimping a bit here and there so I would have enough, but I think I'm just going to go along with the pattern as written and see what happens. I'm pretty sure I should be able to get an extra hank from a Raveler or something. No worries. I guess I should start checking around if I plan on wearing it to a wedding this weekend...

Aunt Becky

I found out my favorite Great Aunt died last night. Even though there was about 60 years and a whole country between us, we were extremely enamored with each other. I would call and send her cards, but never as often as I should have. She would always tell me how much she loved the silly little cards and notes I had written over the years and how much they would make her happy when she was sitting alone in her apartment. Regardless of my lack of writing or calling, she was always in my thoughts and those thoughts never ceased in making me smile.

I suppose we all knew it was coming. She was in her 90's. And she did get very sick back in February but by all accounts from my New York cousins, she was doing much better. Still, I would dread anytime my parents called me. Was Dad calling me to tell me Aunt Becky was gone? I would imagine how I would take it. Would I be sad? Would I cry? How would I feel?

Last night, when the call did come, it wasn't from my dad but my sister. Dad had sent the news out in an email. And I can't blame him, there is a lot of family all across the country and not a lot of detail to be had. Besides he was probably more concerned about how to break the news to his mother who would no doubt be devastated at the loss of her last living sister.

So today I'm at work and the day isn't different from any other day. I feel a little melancholy, a little quiet, a little introspective. But I haven't let myself dwell too much on it. I love her very dearly and want to just remember her in all the ways I can. Like when I was a kid, we would have a huge fish fry/crab cook at my parents house during one of her many summertime visits. She would tell us stories about her beer drinking parakeet and how he would fall over drunk. Or her voice on the other end of the phone laughing and calling me a 'freshpot' for saying something sassy to her. I know she's in a better place and that she's free from any of the pain she was in...so that's a comfort. But still, I'll miss her. More so than before because I no longer have the luxury of just picking up the phone and saying hello. It's okay though. She'll continue to be in my daily thoughts. And I know those thoughts will never cease to make me smile.

Remember Me?

Hey friends. It's been awhile. SOMEONE has been hoggin' the blog and insisting that if I didn't have anything to say I shouldn't be allowed to post. You know me, I always have something to say...but whatevahs. I guess I could just say I was on vacation, and truth be told, I was still recovering from our Paris trip. Jetlag is a bitch! Anyway, I'm here today to present a few things.

First is my new little friend. Kim sent him to me and as soon as he came out of his packaging, we were instant friends. I mean, we're wearing the same dress, he has impeccable taste and honestly, what's not to love about a cross-dressing bear? He much better company than Christie. I have yet to come up with an appropriate name for him. I've been racking my brain, but nothing seems right yet. It's coming though.

Moving right along...

Backstory

Pattern: Baseball Baby Tee from Knit 2 Together
Yarn: GGH Bali in purple
Needles: US 5
Exposition: I'm also here to present Christie's latest finished project, the Baseball Baby Tee. She wanted me to tell you it was pretty straightforward and it was an easy pattern...blah, blah. The GGH Bali is a yarn close to my own heart, as I am made from Bali. Quality stuff, let me tell you. She also said to tell you that she only used two balls of the Bali. Something about decent yardage. And if she were to do it again, she would consider knitting in the round on both the body and sleeves, whatever that means. You knitters and your "terms".


I found 3 white heart buttons last night and Christie used two for the shoulder closure and sewed the third to the hem. I suggested the she just do three buttonholes instead of two, but she scoffed and said she had already woven in the ends and she'd be damned if she did any more reknitting. TESTY! Jeez.

And in honor of Wednesday being America's Next Top Model night, I insisted on modeling.

Nigel Barker, eat your heart out.
Miss Jay, I'm coming for you.
Paulina, you've got nothing on me.
Tyra, am I smiling with my eyes?

Fierce.
Fiercer.
Fiercest.

YEAH!

So I totally finished the knitting of the Baseball Sweater last night.
Just a little seaming, a button band or two and it would be ready to send to a well deserving baby in Portland.

So why, is this sleeve back on the sticks?

OH, BECAUSE I FORGOT TO BIND OFF TWO FREAKIN' STITCHES FOR THE ARMHOLE.

Yes, I bound off on the right side and forgot to bind off a row later on the purl side. So while I was trying to seam the armhole today, I'm wondering why the damn sleeve raglan edge won't match up to the body raglan edge.

I swear to GOD, I need a drink and to go to yoga class tonight [preferable in the reverse order. I cannot do a drunken tree pose].
Breathe in...it's just a baby sweater and you'll have it reknit in a half an hour...
Breathe out...release the tension of the craft that is becoming a beast of burden when it is suppose to calm and inspire you...
Breathe in...only Allah is perfect...
Breathe out...if I make one more bonehead mistake I'm going to throw any and all offending knits out the window......OM!

NAMASTE!

Knitter's Depression

I am pretty put off by the mistake I made with Jacket #41. I frogged back the endless rows and mentally prepared myself for the reknit. But when I looked at it, I just felt sick. I felt sick with dread. And who can enjoy knitting while one's stomach is clenched up in knots?

Could it be the Knitting Gods were punishing me for finishing a project for myself and not knitting a gift project before starting Jacket #41 as per my New Years Resolution?
Cruel and unusual punishment, Knitting Gods, but I get the message.

So I casted on for one of the many baby items that have been added the queue of late. I'm not exactly sure which baby this will be for, but I may just finish it up and send it to my friend in Portland who's baby girl is a month old [especially since I don't have confirmation of the gender of either of the impending babies].

Doesn't look like much, but it will eventually be the Baseball Baby Tee [from Knit 2 Together or free here]. I'm making a solid sweater from 2 balls of GGH Bali in a lovely dark purple. I was able to finish front, back and a sleeve and half over the weekend. I'm still a bit in the clutches of Knitter's Depression so I'm taking it easy so it doesn't cause my Mojo to leave me completely.

Punishment

So I'm knitting on Jacket #41. And I'm thinking to myself...this bit of yarn seems to be lasting much longer than it did for the first side. Then I'm thinking, wow, this side is going much faster than the first side. Then I think, wow, I'm already to the bind off for the front...strange that I don't have enough stitches left over after binding off the front. How am I 24 stitches short? How is it that the two fronts aren't the same size? Is the pattern wrong, because it certainly worked for the first side.

Yeah, I forgot to do some increases. Like 24 of them. So I frogged back 16cm of work and have to redo it all.

Somehow I think the yarn won't last much longer than the first side. And first item on the day's agenda: sulk.