Fun for all II

Last night was the St Louis Stitch N Pitch. Mr. Gnome came along. Such a burden for him as you can imagine.

Yep, made him hold the sock.
This is the only action the sock got last night. I'm so close to the end of the foot and didn't really want to do that much concentration during the game.
Mostly I knit on Mr. Gnome's Antler Scarf. Coming along quite well, and I didn't screw it up until the ninth inning.
The Very cool goody bags we got! Patterns, yarn, needles, and Coupons oh my!

The Cards won and the weather was great. We did have to get our seat changed b/c they sold our seat online as well as in our LYS. We still had good seats though. I didn't really see any other knitters I knew there. I could look up into the rest of the stand and see lots of people knitting and crocheting and that was very cool. This guy sitting next to me asked what was up with all the crocheters. Why do people assume it's crochet? Isn't crochet more obscure? Anyway. I told him about it all, I think he was a bit surprised especially that it happens all across the country. This guy spent the first half of the game making small bets with his friend sitting next to him. Then he went to sit somewhere else and was making bets with the same guy via cell phone. I found this to be very amusing. Maybe as amusing as he found all the knitters.

Lumpy Sock

You know little is happening if I am showing the sock. I don't know why I never talk about socks until they are done, or mostly done. Just have nothing to say. It's a sock... Anyhoo. This is some hand dyed wool/nylon blend I got in Vermont last December while visiting the in-laws. It looked lovely on the skein, and even more lovely on the ball, then knit up.
Kind of blah. It's of course not this lumpy stretched out on the foot. The pattern, from Sensation Knitted Socks, as usual, has been a lot of fun. I was afraid it would be a bit difficult being 28 rows and all but it makes sense and didn't take me long to figure out at all. The second sock is almost to the heel. So I should have a finished pair soon.

I have also started Antlers Scarf from Son of Stitch N Bitch. I got the book from our local library which has a lot of cool knitting books. I am hoping that starting a scarf will make it get warm out. Pictures soon.

Fingerless Glove Love

Ah the immediate gratification of a fingerless glove.

But oh the ends!!!

Flower Fingerless Gloves from Kristen Knits. I'm actually using the recommended yarn, though not the colors, for this! Amazing I know. It is soft and wonderful feeling, I just want to rub it all over! Being a glove that could look a bit odd... Yes, glove, as in one done.

The View From Our Window

Or Windome as the Bug says.

A few weeks ago during a wind storm our neighbor across the street's tree fell down. Just missing the house. I was outside when I heard it falling and turned around in time to see it crash down. I promptly got inside at that time.

Then this weekend I glanced out the window and saw this. You can't tell but he's talking on his cell. The really odd thing is five minutes after he pulls away two cop cars drove past. hmmm....

And now to throw in some knitting since I'm sure you have to be wondering what is up. I made myself an IPod case. Recognize the symbol?

Grill

We grilled outside for the first time in the house. Grilling isn't always a success around here. The coals are too hot or too cool, the veggies fall between the grates, smoke in the eyes etc. But this time sweet success! Veggie Dogs with just the right amount of chewey charring, no idea if that happens to meat hot dogs but I like the bubbling and slight cheweyness of a just chard dog. The asparagus was just right, nice and juicy. Topped with Veganomicon's Cheezy Sauce. Really a nutritional yeast sauce, but you get the idea. Yum!
For dessert chunks of apples sprinkled with cinnamon cooked until warm and mushy. Very yum!

The making of a tea set

And you thought I was done talking about it! ha ha ha.

That's the Cupcake Serving Plate. On the plate is a snail stitch marker. This little guy happily told me whenever I was finishing a round. Not really necessary it was easy enough to keep track of. But I like stitch markers for working in the round not matter how easy it should be to keep track of where you are. I'm a TV knitter and don't want to have to pay attention to the knitting any more than is really necessary and stitch markers help me do that. Anyhow. This cute little guy just made the entire process all the more fun.

Then there are those two broken needles. Size three needles + worsted weigh yarn + lots of k2tog = a lot of strain on the needles. Thus the breaking. When the first one went it wasn't Such a big deal. I had a set of five and was only using four. Then the next one went. Well that was a problem; I think you can do the math. Mr. Gnome happens to work across the street from a LYS and was sweet enough to get me another set on his way to work one evening.

That's probably it from Tea Set Land.

You say Tomato

I say Blueberry...

Let's cast the whole thing off.

Yes it is done. I actually wore it on the crawl Sunday. It's a bit too big, as seems to be my problem. By the end of Sunday it seemed to be sagging all the more. I mean it's wearable. It's not like a big sack. It's just not what it should or could be. I keep thinking this should all be a learning process but I don't feel like I'm learning anything since everything turns out a size too big no matter what I do. Frustrating. This time since I got gauge on sevens I knit it up on sixes knowing I relax a lot when knitting the actual garment (I know, me relax, crazy!). Still not the result I would like. But then if I had gone ahead and knit it up on sevens like the gauge swatch said I could it would be way too big and unwearable. On the bright side I do like how the color work turned out. I re-knit it and paid more attention and it looks pretty good. So I guess I did learn something.

Fun for all

Yesterday the bug and I went on a yarn crawl with some St. Louis Ravelers. I didn't get any pictures of the crawling. Too busy looking at yarn and keeping track of the bug. All and all she was very cooperative. Four yarn shops in a morning is a lot for a three year old. We won't be discussing the yarn bought. Then we have to admit to it and then it is real.... Yay birthday money! ahem.

As if a yarn crawl isn't fun enough we then went to the Dan Zanes concert at The Edison Theater.

There is the bug in the corner. She had a blast dancing. And of course you have to say ooh to the lighting for the show; sexiest lighting technician in St Louis you know. Or maybe that is just my opinion.

Minus a spoon

The now completed and glorious tea set includes:

• Teapot
• Creamer
• Sugar Bowl with lid
• 4 sugar cubes
• 4 tea cups
• 4 saucers
• 4 spoons (since a recent playdate on is MIA)
• 4 cupcakes
• Serving Plate
• 4 cupcake plates

Wow. That's some tea set!!! Such fun to make I'm actually going to miss the project....

Next the three little pigs finger puppet set.

ETA: The spoon has been found! It just appeared in the middle of the floor. Theory: All of the dishes have been fully accounted for this entire time. Perhaps the spoon was stood up and just came back feeling sad and rejected.

To sweat or not to sweat

Both sweaters have been growing. Unlike our grass...

The short sleeve (to not sweat) only needs one more increase then some inches, sleeves, and ribbing around the head opening. It seems huge when I hold it up but when I hold it up to my body it seems like it will fit. Odd.

The back of the hoodie (to sweat) just needs a few more inches. I'm not sure if I'll cast on for the front when I'm done or if I'll wait until the fall. I really have no desire to knit wool in the summer. And I'm sure I'd find a need for my size 7 needles. But then I'm afraid of never casting on and then never finishing. But then maybe that fear will make sure I do cast on in the fall and do finish.

Cupcakes

The computer has been plotting against me. It has been acting up and taking care of it has taken away from my computer time. Thus the long delay in posting. Other things too, I don't really know how it has been over a week. Anyhoo. I have been knitting at least. The only thing to show for now, however, are the cupcakes for the tea set.

For what tea set would be complete without a tasty treat?

You can't go wrong with chocolate cupcakes with white frosting and a cherry on top. Plus a plate just the right size to serve these lovely delicacies to your party guests.