Finishing

So, I finished two things yesterday! The secret project was turned in yesterday afternoon, and then I finished the socks at knit night last night (pictures to follow tomorrow or so).

I have cast on for secret project #2. It is a mostly stockinette stitch 6 month old size sweater, so I should be able to whip it out pretty quick. Then, maybe I can work on some other stuff!

I have two baby stories to share! The first one is Ayanna now wants you to read to her. She will pick up a book, and walk backwards into your lap so you can read her the book! It is so cute. Of course, she only lasts about a page or less per book, so there is quite the pile of books sitting next to you when she is done!

Second, Ayanna is not allowed to play with the phone. She knows this! She also knows this is my rule, and Daddy doesn't so much care. I was doing laundry the other day and I heard the beep, beep of someone punching buttons on the phone. I yelled "AYANNA ROSE BROWN" and started for the living room to get the phone from her. When I walked into the living room, she was in between her daddy's legs and the phone was on the couch and she had this "who me?" look on her face. Apparently, when she heard me call out her name, she ran to her daddy and pitched the phone to the other side of him.

NICE!

Progress

I took some pictures today of my recent progress. The white item in the pics is a business sized envelope for scale.

Here is the first glove, done but no ends wove in.

I have a bit of Second Glove Syndrome...


The (really wrinkled) back of Ribby Cardi.

The left front.

The right front.

Most of sleeve #1

The back of Malik's Sweater.

Close-up of the detail.

So far on the front.

Just for grins, here is Malik,

DeAndre', and

Ayanna after she decided her noodles belonged in her hair.

Ayanna's ears

I have done LOTS of knitting, but the only thing I have pictures are of Ayanna's ears after she got them pierced (again) this weekend. I don't even get to get credit for getting the pictures, as my sister took them on her camera phone. Again means they closed up after the last time. She was okay with it. We set her up to have a french fry AS SOON AS SHE WAS DONE, so she wouldn't cry for too long. Also, there was a guy there who had a dog with him, so we set it up so she could see the dog as soon as she was done, too.

Knitting news would include: finishing the first front of Ribby Cardi and about half of the second front. Finishing about half of the front for Malik's sweater, and Finishing the wrist portion of Marcus' glove #2.

I have some good news. I knit some things for Knit Picks for them to put on the website and/or for publication in the catalog. They are now available on the website.

The first thing I knit for them, I didn't take a picture of, but I knit this hat.

The second thing I knit for them, I didn't actually knit, but I assembled it. Pig. Here is the picture of the pig on my desk waiting to be put in a box:

Goals:

Avast (DAMN ZIPPER)

Second front of Ribby Cardi

Front of Malik's sweater

Hand of Marcus' glove

Get started on a new paid project

Classes!

I have been waiting patiently for some money we were expecting about Christmas time - it hasn't come. I signed up for the classes, anyway! I am very excited about them all! Ready?

Drop Spindle Spinning; Hoop 'n' Loop with the Blazers; Knit Purl All-Nighter

I also want to sign up for this class, but we will see: Dye Your Own Sock Yarn

Sorry I have been gone. It got busy, again, at work (BIG SURPRISE). Plus, I got some news. Since the partnership is breaking up, they will no longer be needing my services. I might go with the partner who is leaving, or I might not. I will be here until March 31 unless I find something else first.

I signed up for Secret Pal 10.



We had snow a couple of weeks ago.

The kids all playing. Ayanna's first snow

The covered car

DH turned 40








It was a surprise party

DeAndre' turned 9





(Insert pics here after they are downloaded)

Happy belated new year

Hello.

Happy 2007.

I have news, sort of. To end 2006, I frogged both Fair Isle projects I had on the needles, to start off fresh. I ripped the whole Fair Isle part of Marcus' vest on Monday while he was at work. On New Year's Eve, I ripped Ayanna's Voss sweater. Apparently, I knit Fair Isle tightly, so I am starting over. I did not rip out the ribbing on the bottom which was not in Fair Isle, but of course, I had to get whatever TINY needles are used for Voss in the live stitches - over 200 of them, very intense! I have a Fair Isle project OTN right now, so we will see if I can do better. I am using Ann Budd's glove pattern. I have made 3 pairs with this pattern in about the last month (one for each of the boys, and a quasi-fingerless pair for me), so this time I am changing it up. I am using a stitch pattern from "Knitting in the Old Way" in red and black for my DH.

Current OTN:

gloves
minimalist
Voss from this book
Vest
Forest Canopy Shoulder Shawl

All of these are rather complicated, and therefore, I have no mindless knitting. So, I bought Ribby Cardi for this project.

Goals for this week:

FINISH AVAST (I only have to install the zipper)

Finish one glove

Wind a new ball for minimalist

Do pattern start row for Voss

I want to add more, but that is good for one week, I think.

Now for some Ayanna shots (neither of them are very good, but...):

Blogiversary

I keep forgetting. December 9, 2004 - this blog is already two years old - my how time flies!!!

Ayanna's birthday was great! She got presents and cake. She was soo tired, but you certainly couldn't tell - she was having so much fun! I will try to pick some decent pics, most of them are awful!

Malik was in a concert at school on December 14. It was a Beginning Band concert - 6th grade. He liked it. It was good.

That is Malik standing

Christmas was good. I got a bonus at work on Friday, so Saturday we went Christmas shopping. We also saw Santa.

I gave dad his sweater without zipper. I got some advice against the zipper I bought, so I bought a new one on Tuesday. I plan on installing it this weekend.

Ayanna's birthday

Today, she is ONE!!


day 2


baptism in february


first Christmas


mmmmm good!!


last June

Today for her birthday, we took her to Red Robin, so they could sing to her:

Apple Juice





French Fries


Oops, here comes that french fry back again


Macaroni and cheese


What are these people doing


Some kind of song


The crazies singing to her.

Sorry the pics are soo crappy. Blurry must be in this season

How big is Ayanna???

SOOOO BIG!!!


YEAH!!!

I have made soooo much knitting progress.

I am finished with 3 of 5 stockings. I made LOTS of headway on the leg of #4. I have been pretty bold in knitting these in the living room in front of everyone, and no one has seemed to noticed. However, this weekend, while knitting on #4, DH says "what's that?" "Boy, are you observant - I get through 3 of these before it dawns on you to ask me about this!" I didn't say that, though, instead I said "I am not answering that question."

I am making good progress on Avast. This is the first sleeve. Of course, that isn't a great picture because the 12" ruler isn't really showing anything except that is longer than 12". It needs to be 19" before I start the decreases or whatever I need to do next.



I cast on for Minimalist from Mag Knits this weekend. It is a GREAT project in that I get to use stash yarn that I got in a Yarn Swap. I got stuck pretty quick, though, because I don't know the best way to stay in pattern (1x1 rib) after I do increases. I will find out, but I am stuck for the time being.

I also cast on for a hat for Ayanna yesterday. She has outgrown her other one.

I HAVE A KNIT GROUP!! Every Thursday from 6-9 at Knit Purl. I decided I HAVE to go to something, or I will go crazy!

This weekend we bought a pumpkin and I carved it yesterday night.



That is all, for now.

Blogging Around

In making the rounds this week, I found these two links that I felt were interesting:

I got this from Michelle. Move the socks around...
http://www.tomslighthouse.net/special/Socks.swf

I got this from Kim.
http://www.nationalknittingweek.com/

And, while reading http://loulou2.blogspot.com/ blog, I saw that I need to answer the questions from http://yarnyenta.blogspot.com/ blog, so here goes:

1. Where is your favorite knitting spot?
You mean I have to pick ONE!!! Okay, I guess since it never happens, it would be on the couch next to my DH while watching (almost) anything on TV.

2. If you suddenly could never knit again (shudder) - what would you do instead?
Read and play Sudoku

3. If you could travel anywhere in the world - where would you go and why?
Right now, I would choose Germany because my friend is there and that is where we met. But she is an Army wife, so she will not be there forever, so when she leaves, New York for the experience

4. When you were little - What did you want to do "when you grew up?" Are you doing it?
I never had a goal.

5. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
Ben & Jerry's "Half Baked" It is some kind of fudge ice cream plus chocolate chip cookie dough.

Now, let's see if I can post those pictures from last week:

Detail on Avast cabling


I believe I have made progress on this, but I haven't taken out the measuring tape, yet.

I know I am farther than this. I finished that sleeve, and started the other one.


I also know I am farther than this. This is done with all the knitting, but the yarn has not been cut, and no ends are woven in. I have cut yarn, woven most of the ends (not all), and started on another one.

And, just for good measure, some baby girl pics:

She so much loves to drive.

We got pictures done a couple of weeks ago, but we haven't been able to finish scanning/converting them so I can't post them.