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Just knitting on...

A record of my knitting projects and events of my life

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Not much knitting here...

I have finished the lacing stitch socks, but it has been too overcast to get a good photo of them. There was very little knitting over the weekend (including Friday) because I drove to Maryland for the weekend to visit Katy and Jack. I haven't figured out how to drive and knit at the same time! In fact, I had trouble driving and staying awake at the same time, both coming and going. I don't know if it is advancing age or what, but I was really having a hard time staying awake. I had to pull off the road three separate time on the way to Maryland and twice on the way home. Walking around a bit helped, then I would stop at the next service plaza and get a venti size Starbucks coffee. I tried chewing gum, mints, music playing at deafening volume, and an audio book. I really hate driving.

The weekend was also notable for much activity on the realty front, which unfortunately did not result in selling my house. All of a sudden three separate couples decided that my house was the ONE. They were all in and out of the house multiple times on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday trying to decide if they were going to make an offer. In the end, on Sunday night, only one couple did. Their offer was $59,000 below my selling price. Well. The real estate market is very depressed in our area, and there are many, many homes sitting on the market not selling. I personally know two couples who have had their homes on the market for over a year, have moved out into the houses they bought, and are now desparate to sell. I'm sure the buyers assume I'm desparate too, but I haven't bought anything and so I don't absolutely have to sell. The contract with the realtor is up on September 10, and I'm just going to take my house off the market.

My mother told me last week that she and Dad are going to move to Indiana in the Spring to live with my sister and her family on land they own in the country. I don't think this is a good idea for many reasons, but my sister has been pushing them to do this for years and has finally succeeded in convincing them they will save money living there. Her last good idea was to convince them to buy a time share in Mexico that they can't use (to hard for them to travel to), can't rent (agent says no one wants to rent it) and can't sell it (agent says no one wants to buy). It makes me sad, but their minds are made up on this.

Oh, I forgot to mention that I started the Icarus Shawl. This is my first lace project and I thought this pattern might not be too difficult for a new lace knitter. I am using Suri Alpaca lace weight yarn in a soft blue-gray color. If it turns out well (yet to be seen) it will be gorgeous.

I'm at work and lunch hour is over. Gotta go.

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

It's been a while

The Gotland Island mittens are done at last. That thumb on the right mitten gave me such trouble! I have to admit that I got a little bored with the red and white pattern, although it was an easy one to memorize, so I didn't have to consult the charts very often.



The pattern was from Folk Mittens. I used three shades of Knitpick's Palette (red, green, and white). A bargain at $1.99 a ball. They were knit on US #1 doublepoints (Britanny Birch).

Of course I have to have a sock on the needles and here it is.


This is the Opal Sock of the Month Club Pattern for May. It is called Lacing Stitch Socks. Here the detail picture. It's sort of a "belt threaded through belt loops" look! At least that is what it reminds me of. The yarn is Opal Prisma.


The cuff has a cable rib, but I forgot to get a shot of that. Oh well, tomorrow's another day.

Now that the weather is cooler, I'm back in my own home. I had a somewhat depressing chat with my realtor last evening. She told me that houses in our area are taking an average of one year to sell. Mine has been on the market since the first week in March. :( Fortunately I decided to sell first and buy later. People are still looking at my house though, usually one or two groups a weekend. I think 4 groups went through last week. But no one is bying. Sigh.

Bye for now.

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Oh woe!

I didn't finish the Gotland Island Mittens after all. On Saturday I finshed the tip of the mitten and all I had left to do on Sunday was knit the thumb. On Sunday I removed the waste yarn for the peasant thumb and picked up the stitches. I knit about an inch on the thumb and then I saw it---a dropped stitch way down at the base of the thumb. Apparently I dropped it in the first row. :( I took a deep breath and began to frog all the way back to the beginning. I had a terrible time getting the original picked up stitches back on the needles, and they are very messly looking too. So I have set the mitten aside until I feel better about it. I'll pick it up again maybe next weekend.

The heat is really getting to me. Yesterday was 94 F degrees with a heat index of 108. I feel like I'm melting. The air conditioning in the office has been turned down to conserve power, as the local power company is doing rolling blackouts in some areas of the city. Ah well, this too shall pass, it always does.

Blogger is driving me crazy. Yesterday it ate my post, and now it will not let me download photos. Bah!

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