Lunch hours are for knitting. I got six more rows done.

Perhaps I should change the name of my blog. Something to reflect the fact that I haven't crocheted in over a month. How about by hook or pointy stick?

I think it's cute.

I was extremely production last night. I hope I wasn't unsociable at the in-laws' but I got over 5 inches done in total yesterday. Unfortunately, this morning was the first time I measured it lying truly flat and it's an inch too narrow. I might try to block it out wider. If that doesn't work, I'll stitch a border or something. I am not starting over again!

Not to self, always, always, always lay the item you are making on a flat surface to measure!

The new KG pillow is about 1 inch high at this point, but I think I'll be much happier with it.

I was wrong; my Joann.com order will be here tomorrow. I kept thinking today was the 30th.

I'm concerned about my order at Herrschner's. It does not show up in my online account. I'm going to have to rummage through my home e-mail to find the confirmation and ask them what's up with it.

Okay. I'm not happy with the pillow. It's attractive and I've been doing a good job. But I'm completely stuck on the next color combinations and it's not what I wanted at all. I really should not have used pink as the main color. Therefore, I'm putting this piece away. Maybe, I'll be able to come up with something else for it or I'll just hold on to it as a memento, but it's not going to be KG's pillow. I'm starting over at lunch. Casting on in off-white and garter stitching stripes like Molly's blanket. And that is that.

In other news, my Joann.com order is on its way. I should have it tomorrow.

I also ordered a needlemaster set from Herrschner's. Yippee!

I'm cruising on the pillow. I've got 4 1/2" done, not counting the tuck panel. Molly had a new bone and was very happy to leave me to my knitting a lot last night. So far, it's really pretty, but I think if the stockinette is making it kind of preppy. And, the prettiness might be drawback. I hope she likes it. I'm not really sure anymore.

I keep checking on my order to see if it's shipped or not. I know, way to soon to be thinking it would be on the way. My husband was giving me a hard time this morning. I told him the total of the order and he felt that I should have gone to a store instead of ordering on-line, especially since I paid $7 in postage. I'd love to shop in person (and I might just spend more) but there really isn't a shop convenient to where I live. There's a yarn shop around the corner from my office, but I think the Manhattan prices would upset him more.

What I really want is one close to the house with a group I can join. I envy all of the journalers I read that have groups or go to stitch and bitch. I know of some crocheters/knitters here at work, but I don't like to hang out in Manhattan after work too much. We've been living in our house over two years and I really don't know a soul.

I don't know how to take this, when I got home last night Molly's blanket was in her water dish. I hope that was accidental.

I finished a few more rows on the KG pillow. Had tried a colored garter row, but ripped it out. Then I had to go back and twist the stiches. I always mess up frogging. Looking forward to getting back in the swing though.

60 ozs of Painted Desert and two pillow forms are making their way to me. I cannot wait until they get here.

This definitely made me rethink getting a Twix from the candy machine.

The Molly blanket is done. I finished sewing it together last night and she slept on it for the first time. I guess she likes. When I first put it in her crate, she pulled it out and tried to kill it by shaking her head. Then she tried to chew on it so I took it away. It's kind of ugly and it wouldn't win any prizes, but it was a great practice piece.

My husband was saying that I should make a lot of them and we'll have a table at our town's fair next year. Then I can start custom making them, and yada yada yada. He's got no concept of the fact that I'm a beginner and no one would buy one of my knitted projects.
A hex blanket, maybe.

Started the next project last night. I'm nearly four inches into KG's pillow. I'm aiming for 14" x 14". I'm making one long panel. It will be folded in half with an edge to tuck in (stole that idea from Vern on Trading Spaces), meaning only two seams to sew. I'm working the tuck panel as garter stitch. The rest will be striped stockinette. It's going to be predominantly pink. She's such a girly girl. I hope it works in her apartment!

Tomorrow, I get to place the yarn order I've been planning for weeks. I'm still toying with what pattern to use for Mom & Dad's new blanket. I guess I'll swatch a few that I have in mind and go from there. I can always make a painted desert hex.

Finally, finally, finally, the middle panel is finished. I got it done last night. I lost my knitting drive last week and didn't discover it againg until yesterday. The rest of today is weaving in ends and sewing the panels together. Hopefully, I'll be able to present her with it tonight.

We limited our luggage this past weekend, so I couldn't take any knitting with me. Which was fine, because as I mentioned, I wasn't really in the mood. We had a great time, though. I think we really needed it.

Once I'm done with the Molly blanket, I'll start on the pillow for KG. Later this week, I'm ordering yarn. At least the color for mom & dad's new blanket and pillow forms. I'm thinking of getting some other stuff, but we'll see.

I finished weaving in the ends on the striped panels. I've finally picked the color for the bone motif on the Molly panel and hope to get that done today. I really, really wanted to have it all done before we left her for the weekend (the husband and I are going to Montreal to see Bruce Springsteend and the E Street Band), but doesn't look likely.

My next project is going to be the striped pillow for KG. I'm bringing that to Montreal with me to work on in transit.

Next week, I order yarn (and pillow forms).

I've decided to kill the sweater project. I'm not completely sure that the pattern I had been working on will be something I like. Since chenille is hard to rip out (it's easy to pull the short fibers from the yarn) I want to be sure that I'll like it when finished. I've got some other things in mind for future use.

I'm a frustrated creator today. I didn't get to work on Molly's blanket last night and had to rip out and re-start the sweater again. Ugh. I'd like to go back to the days when I was cruising through projects.

I've got most of the ends woven in on the two striped panels for Molly's blanket. I've also decided to add a bone motif to the top of the panel with her name to give it the length it needs. Then, I'll be done.

I started another project last night. Got a jump on a beige chenille sweater. I won the chenille in an eBay auction months ago and since I've only got 8 balls I've been worried about what to make. I'm making a short sleeve v-neck sweater. Half-double crochet. I've ripped it out twice and may do so again. I'm trying to follow a sweater I really like and currently am running nearly 2" wide. We'll see how it goes.

Any leftovers will become teddy bears. Lion Brand has a cute pattern on their site.

I haven't been much of a knitting fiend lately. I've got the middle panel done, but it's not long enough. I've started weaving in ends, but have really been ignoring the whole thing. I'll fix that today. I just want to be done with it! Then I can start on whatever I'm going to do next.

Okay. I've finished the M and am contemplating ripping it all out (at least through the O) but I won't. It's done completely wrong, but the dog won't care. I just want to finish and move on.

So, I will.

I've obviously got a lot to learn about intarsia. Things are improving, but not perfect yet. I need to find some resources. Anyway, I finished the O and got a good start on the M last night. I'll be done this panel soon. I've got to figure out how to block the silly thing. It curls up like no tomorrow.

I promised my husband I wouldn't by any of the yarns I'm obsessing about until later in the month. That means I've got to work with what's on hand. I'm trying to find something to do with 1800 yards of chenille. I've been looking at a few beginner sweater patterns I have, but I'm just not sure. I could also start that pillow I was thinking about for my friend K. That would be fun.

Mostly, I'm thinking about tank top designs and cornmeal cotton. When oh when will Spring come?

I am obsessing about a new yarn. I really want to buy 60 ozs and make my parents a blanket with it. It would look so nice in their living room. It's too bad they don't have this color atHerrschner's. The yarn is 30 cents cheaper (adds up when ordering 10 skeins).

I know I said I would update yesterday, but the weather messed up my schedule. I was supposed to take Monday off and go to Yankee Opening Day, but the game was snowed out so I came to work Monday and just didn't think of it. I was at the game yesterday so here I am today. Make sense?

I did not get as much knitting done in VT as I had hoped. However, I have done a Y and two Ls on the stockinette panel of the blanket. They look like crap. I'm obviously doing something wrong. I looked at an intarsia sweater my grandmother made and I think I've got a handle on how to fix the problems. So, the O I started last night should turn out much better.

I have been too lazy, though. I did a swatch and realized that my rows are a lot shorter so the piece with the letters is going to be too short (and perhaps I counted the rows wrong on the other pieces). I'm toying with doing plain off-white garter pieces to help lengthen the middle panel. I think it will have a nice framing effect. Depends on how much I block the thing.

No knitting at lunch. Had to run an errand for the hubby and since I skipped the paper yesterday, had to read today's.

I won't be posting again until Tuesday. I'm heading to VT tomorrow and although my family has Internet access, I don't know that I'll blog. I will update on Tuesday when I get backto work because I hope to have lots of progress to report. (4+ hours in airports = lots of knitting)

I'm having a very hard time with this swatch. I've pulled it out and re-started at least three times. I'm doing something wrong and I cannot figure out what it is. I'll have to start over again at lunch today.

Second panel is finished. I bound off on the train last night. It's just the right size, too. I casted on and started the swatch for the stockinette panel. I may re-do it; my first purl row is all wrong. And gauge is looking awfully tight. I'd hate to have to re-graph my letters, but it's looking like I might. I've decided on doing each letter a different color. So far, I've picked pink, orange, forest green, royal blue and bright, bright red. I reserve the right to change my mind. Anyway I'm still making progress.