sneak peek at the Christmas knitting

We had a wonderful thanksgiving. As is our tradition of the last 5 years, we drove to SC to spend it with my mother-in-law's parents. Long drive, long drive. Hubby outdid himself with the cooking. I ate too much chocolate, but got lots of knitting done. I didn't have to entertain B, since his Grandpa was there and he's his favorite playmate.

My goal was to finish this first Christmas gift before we got home Saturday, but I had to take a nap, not feeling well on the drive home and it just got too dark. So, I finished it last night. Yippee! I'm casting on for this second Christmas gift tonight. I had started it last night, but four rows in I realized I had the wrong number of stitches!

we have a waist

The body of Dad's sweater is nearly done. I started the ribbing last night.

Not bad for two weeks' work. I was very concerned Friday night that it was going to be too big. So I called my mom and had her measure my dad. I'll probably have 2" of ease around his widest part. Good enough for me.

When I asked mom to measure dad, she said "not worried about giving it away are you."

Give what away. In the last 6 years, I think I've given dad something other than a sweater twice. A hat once and a pair of socks last year, and the socks he specifically asked for. Were we expecting a surprise gift?

a little Christmas

I've had this wreath in my head for quite some time. I've been thinking about a Christmas version since I first saw it. I bought a wreath form a few months ago and have been hoarding Christmas-y ribbons. As we get closer and closer to the season, it's been harder and harder to get the wreath out of my head.

I decided to have a go Sunday.

I got my supplies together. I thought I had more ribbon, but B was yelling at me for being in front of the tv so I just grabbed these four.

Aren't they pretty?


I cut out my strips per the tutorial, deciding to hold off on the white one.


Wait a minute! That's all that those strips covered? I think I have a problem. Poor B was inter- rupted again as I rummaged some more.


Found a few more ribbons. (The red gingham with the stitching was a really long roll.)



After much fiddling, untying, re-tying, re-arranging and adding the white with metallic snowflakes, I have this. I need some more ribbon to fill in a few spots, but I can't wait to see how this looks against our black front door!

nearing armholes

I made some progress this weekend. I'm nearly to the point of separating the body from the sleeves. Things will go much more quickly then. Which is good, as I have lots of Christmas presents to make! I did wind one ball of yarn over the weekend. It would have been two, but I forgot one skein in my desk.

I'm going to DC tomorrow for work, coming back Wednesday evening. I hope to get lots done on this sweater on the train.

actual knittng post

As you can see, I've made some progress. It makes good tv knitting, being mostly stockinette with a few increases. It will be great tv knitting when I can separate for the torso. Then it will just be round and round and round.

I'm taking an overnight trip to DC next week. I'm looking forward to the train ride, 6 hours of prime knitting time!

In other knitting news, I broke my yarn fast today. Ruth had posted a teaser earlier this week and I knew I had to have the resulting yarn. I scooped up one of the 10% cashmere skeins. I figure if I was going to break my fast, it should be with something good. I can't wait to get it!

speech therapy in action

So, part of B's language delay is a problem with sequencing. We've done a lot of homework on doing first, next, last sequences (retelling stories, explaining how to do something). This morning, B took his bagel to the dining room table, then he told me what he had just done and walked through it again. He said he grabbed the plate like this (with both hands), then he walked around the table and put the plate on the table to sit down and eat.

I was so proud. It makes the work and money and stress worth it to see him acquire these new skills. We get feedback from school about how much he's improved (some of the staff's known him since he was 2), that he speaks more clearly and articulates better. Seeing him take this huge step, talking in long sentences, getting a sequence right, it blows me away.

He's getting there. One of the next big tasks is getting him to stop saying "I forget" and "I don't know." Those are his two big fallbacks when he doesn't know how to say what he's thinking.

He works so hard; we'll get there.

no sweater progress to report

I have no sweater progress to report. I did the math and cast on last night. I knit over an inch and realized that I'd used to small a measurement for the neck. Riiiiip goes the sweater. I will cast on again this evening.

A literary interlude for you while I tackle this problem.

"If I was a ghost I would go to a haundted house to see a witch." by Billy, age 5.

I was so proud when I saw this hanging up in the classroom. B's very anxious about doing pictures for school work or speech therapy and it was exciting to see him come up with something so narrative. I'm also quite chuffed by the way his penmanship is improving in leaps and bounds. I love that kid!

do the needful

My company started working closely with Indian firms five or six years ago. We often hear intersting, nonidiomatic phrases from our colleagues in India. One of my favorite phrases they use is "do the needful." Usually said in response to a request, "we will do the needful."

Apparently, this can be interpreted as a very racy phrase referring to onanism in parts of the UK, which makes it even funnier.

I started swatching for my dad's birthday sweater this weekend in Needful Yarns Australian Merino. Three swatches were needed because the first has a gauge way too small (on a US 5) and the second seemed a little too drapey (US 7). I swatched a third time with a US 6 and although I like the fabric, I'm worried I won't have enough yarn at this gauge (about 6 st to an inch). But, even with the 7s I didn't get recommended gauge of 21 st/4 in, but just over 22 st/4 in.

I called in reinforcements and my knitting friend at work reassured me that the swatch on the 7s is fine and I should just go ahead. An 8 would make fabric that felt holey.

I've decided to do a pullover with a neck placket, I'm going to use the Woolworks top-down raglan guidelines, tweaking the neckline to get the placket. Woo hoo for knitting in the round and being able to adjust length as I go along. I'll be casting on tonight.

trick or treat

I think we had a good halloween. B's class joined in the parade at school. Hubby went instead of me, as I'd been conflicted all week since their party was scheduled for that afternoon. I got there in the afternoon and the party was B and one other K kid in the Pre-K classroom just having snacks. Everyone else from Kindergarten had gone home sick. We left shortly after B finished his snack. We went home and made cookies.

Trick or treating was a bit spritzy, but we had fun. B's a two-block trick or treater. We went up our street and down one side street and home. He seems pretty happy with his candy haul and doesn't mind that we ration it pretty strictly.

He didn't feel too well yesterday complaining of a headache that would get better with tylenol but come back. He was better this morning and couldn't wait to get out of bed for picture day at school today. He insisted he had to wear his dress shirt and tie so he'd look handsome and sharp.

He scored a goal at soccer this weekend. It wasn't beautiful, but Hubby and I are always so proud of him for being one of the most focused kids on the field. He may not be fast or very coordinated, but when he's motivated, he's very focused.

I didn't do too much, knitting or sewing wise this weekend. I did finish my Halloween skirt last week. I'll post a picture tomorrow. I got lots of compliments on it. I did swatch for my dad's birthday sweater this weekend. I hope to cast-on tonight.




















Here's my progress on the brick socks. I probably will put this aside for Dad's sweater and the other gifts I'm making.