Even Aunt Lydia Isn't Safe from Yarnblobs

Father's Day Yarnblob

Happy Father's Day! Feel free to run about all day, unshaven and in a ballcap:

FO - Socks

I finally finished my socks I was working on, and since it's a 150gm ball, I have enough left to make my Hubby a pair of socks too. He likes the yarn as much as I do - it's very soft and comfy.

The presence of the 8-sided die is one of those interesting things that happens when you use the game mat for photography. Someone apparently didn't do much damage to a monster...

My Backyard

As someone mentioned, I haven't posted pics of my backyard since it snowed last. Well, okay, I've posted them to Facebook but not here 'cause it's easier to get them on FB from my phone. So, here's the update:

We finally got patio furniture this year:

So this is the view from my outdoor knitting chair:

And this is where I put the knitting and coffee:

Undoing a Yarblob

Previously, after the sharks got my kimono, I've been too disheartened about the project to pick it up again. Finally, though, the weather was nice, the sun was shining and the wind was blowing, so I decided if I frogged it on the patio in the midst of all that natural beauty, maybe it wouldn't seem so discouraging. I was right. I started out with this:

With a deep sigh and my music playing, I located the beginning of the end:

(That's Nessie in the pool, doing her thing)

Finally, I got the mess undone and ended up with this:

I probably need to tink out the next row or two, but even that amount of un-progress is enough of an improvement that I feel better about the project.

Happy Birthday and WIP Progress

First, Happy Birthday to little Frieda, born today :-)

Second, I wanted to use my progress on her blanket as a visual how-to on adding a border to a baby blanket using Vera without sewing (the only way this thing is gettin' done before Frieda goes to college):

First, with the first stitch of the blanket hooked onto the first needle, cast on for the border. Unfortunately, I forgot to take pics of this process, but will do so when I cast on for the other edge.

With the carriage on the opposite side of the border in relation to the main piece (e.g. blanket is on your left, edging in the middle, carriage on the right, blanket and carriage reverse positions for the other edge), pick up a stitch from the main piece using the tool and hook the stitch onto the first needle with the stitch from the edging:

Second, run the carriage across twice. The first time will knit the two stitches together:

The second time will lock that into place and return the carriage to the starting position for the next stitch to be picked up:

Repeat by skipping a row on the main piece, effectively picking up and knitting on every other row of both the main piece and the border:

In this instance, I am also working every other row into a knit stitch. Since Vera knits in reverse stockinette, this results in a garter stitch.

New WIP: Baby Set

We've got yet another friend with a baby due to be born any time now. I cast on this blanket Friday night, and by Saturday night, had gotten this far, which is not quite halfway:

By Sunday night I'd gotten this far, which is 6 rows from binding off:

Once I complete the bottom border, it's on to the side borders, and I have a vague notion what I want to do with the hat and booties.

Naturally, there are Mad Knittist Notes involved:

Years from now I'll probably find that page in my notebook and wonder what the heck it means.

"Grams" Yarnblob

At a mere 50, Grams Yarnblob feels quite young at heart....

WIP Progress: Gloves

I've made actual progress on my best friend's gloves, and the right one is nearly complete:

As you can see, I've added the finger flap, which I chose to make asymetrical to more closely follow the natural lines of the hand. You can also just see the tip of my finger, which apparently I couldn't keep out of the photo. What you can't really see in those pics is that instead of a button or snap, I've added a little strap to keep the finger flap down when not in use:

It actually works quite well. Here are some in-action photos with the flap off and on:

She also wants a thumb flap, so that's next and then I can duplicate the process for the other glove.

WIP Progress: Socks

I finally managed to get one complete sock done for the pair I started in mid-May:

At last, I managed to get it to fit well and bound off loosely enough at the cuff. The yarn itself is really soft and comfy (OnLine SuperSocke Relax-Color in colorway 1101; 75% superwash wool, 25% polyamide). I like the semi-muted colors and now that I've finally stopped screwing this one up, I can make the other and maybe wear them soon. Boo-yah.

UFO Chronicles Continued

I actually have done some more work on My Own Personal UFO. I've gotten 3 more stripes sewn together, though they're not attached to the main blanket. After emptying my Cauldron O'Yarn and finding it had generated a small ball of the Scurvy Yarn I'd mostly gotten rid of, I thought perhaps if I put the UFO in the cauldron....

Okay, that probably won't work, but at least it's in sight now, and next to my working area. Maybe keeping it in visual range will inspire me to actually finish sewing the thing. It could happen.

Flora Renewed

This is a gerbera daisy plant I got last year for Admin Asst Week that had all but died after a re-plant:

You can't see it, but under this bloom is another waiting to open. Boo-yah.