Knitting: The Opulent Raglan

So due to the crazy hectic week last week, I didn't have too much of an opportunity to work on this sweater. I made a bit of progress here and there, but not really much until this weekend. I did many rows between the 2 days. I like it so far, it's a pretty easy repeat... and the sides/underarms and back are all stockinette. It's nice because instead of just going around and around forever, the middle cable section adds a point of interest. And when I'm going around it doesn't seem like it's taking me too long to get back to that section, so that's cool too. I definitely understand why those that have made it said it's a fast knit. In some respect it is. I think my stuff just seems to take forever because I'm always making larger sizes which use a LOT more stitches. :)

ION... Coraline, 3D! WOW! (don't worry liz, you can keep reading, I won't spoil it). It was actually my first 3d movie... yes EVER! It was a cute story, I was uber tired when I went though and got a little drowsy towards the end. I never officially FELL asleep, but I think I closed my eyes a couple of times. Not sure if anyone could tell behind the 3d glasses though.. HA!

But seriously... there was the cutest part at the beginning and I just laughed and laughed. I thought it was really well done, all of it! And the bonus part was that part way through Coraline is out shopping with her mom and she's wearing what look like knitted stockings and a knitted skirt!!! AND, the thing she wants most in the store is a pair of stripey knitted gloves! LOL I thought it was sooo funny that of all clothing they could have drawn for her, it was knitted garments. Too awesome.

I guess that's about all the update that is in me at the moment. Here are a few shots of the sweater. A close up of the cable section and another one showing more of the "make."





OH and aren't you all impressed... yes I've cast on a few new things of late but I have meticulously been sticking to one project for more days at a time. Perhaps before it was lack of interest in projects... or now I just have that need/desire to finish? Who knows... anyway, I'm liking that I'm having some doneness in my life. One sweater nearly finished (still not entirely seemed), and another well on it's way. You know, now that I think about some of those unfinished projects, I realize that the majority of the undone stuff was stuff I was making for other people. Maybe that's the problem, I can't seem to finish stuff because it's not for me?! That's a bit selfish, but I think that might be it! Hhhmmm....

In other news, I picked up the new Debbie Bliss Spring/Summer. I like a couple of things... the sweaters as is would cost a fortune because the DB yarn is not cheap! I'm anxious to see knit picks new cotton blend option and maybe try out swish as well. After the op rag, I really should look into doing something more for spring summer. Of course that will require new yarn because most of what I have now is wool and not really summer friendly. :)

Oh and in Ravelry news... someone contacted me about a different Verena sweater. It seems they needed help with the pattern. I had to go back and pull out my summer issue. She is making a pattern I really like and was having trouble interpreting the chart. I think I helped, but I thought it was really nice that she reached out. It doesn't look like she's super updatey on Ravelry, but I hope she posts about it.

I actually do have a lot more to say about stuff I've read recently and other patterns, but I'm going to go... the more I write, the less I knit and I really want to get started on those shaping decreases... off I go!

Knitting: Unfinished projects, starting more projects and lot of eating!

That is what this weekend has been about.

Friday-Met up with Lindsey at Temptations. I bought some shibui sock yarn cause i've been dreaming about it. It's a lovely shade of green and should go nicely with my almost finished sweater. Then we went to Red Lobster. I had a great meal. It's been ages since I been there and it totally hit the spot. After that I came home, did a little work on the OpRag. Crashed early cause I was tired.

Saturday--it started out pretty rough. The tow truck came to get my car and take it to MAG in Dublin to be looked at. Well, like a dingbat... I took the key for it off my chain, then the driver asked me to move the car down to the pullaround area, so he wouldn't block traffic. Then he left and I came back in the house. I got ready and Brian left for work, I gathered all my stuff and where were my keys? I totally panicked! I strongly felt like I had left them in the rover. SO I call Brian and ask him about the red truck of death... will it make it to Dublin. He says, no, but drive it to where he is on 256 and take his truck. So then I look for the red truck keys... can't find them. I'm losing patience and the clock is ticking because I need to get to the bank before it closes. Finally I decide to call MAG to ask them to look in the rover for my keychain which houses the keys to my 2nd car, house, work, desk, computer, etc.... LIFE! Now every time I call the service guy, it goes to voicemail, so I PLEAD with the operator to ask someone to go find him because i have to know. She tells me there is nothing she can do and transfers me... he picks up. HALLELUJAH! I ask him, he goes to look, I'm on hold. While on hold, I remember putting stuff from the rover into a bag, maybe I threw the keys in there. He comes back can't find them, thanks for trying... and I go out to the garage, grab the bag and they are there! HALLELUJAH again!

So I get it together, and take off. I get to the bank, drive thru line looks long, I decide to go inside... holy crap... line from HELL! seriously, I counted there were like 35 people in line... and this counting was after I had been standing there awhile, so a few people had already gotten through. Sooo banking done, Cath invited me over for movies and knitting, so I went over there. In the meantime, Brian and I had texted each other about dinner and decided to meet at Taj Palace. I've been craving Indian Food for awhile. It was HEAVEN. And I tried a new dish, Aloo something. It was a spinach and potato dish. It was tasty, but it was actually better mixed with my curry sauce, too.

After that, home to knit... do some more rows on the OpRag.

Sunday--Met Molly and Betty for brunch, it was yumtastic. Then we went up to Blendon Woods for the hike. Martha was already there and then Lindsey got there. Off we went. The trails were quite snow and ice covered. We hiked up and down hills and by a stream that wound around. So then after awhile we were at a cross road. The group wanted to go towards the Nature Reserve area and I had enough at that point, so opted to take the trail we came from and head back. It was a nice solitary walk. I stopped a few times and took some photos (to be uploaded soon). Then I waited in my car for the gang to catch up and we went to Baja Sol to knit. And eat.

Then I came home and am knitting some more. I'm almost to the point of joining for the body.

So as far as unfinished work.... I haven't worked on my entrelec socks. I haven't worked on my Schooner sock #2. I haven't finished seaming my sweater. I've been slowly working on this opulent raglan. Not so big a deal, but it just feels like I should be going faster and that it would be further along.

Well, I have to go find the camera cable so I can get these pics uploaded and show all my advetures.

Knitting: Opulent Raglan, an update.

I should have added this pic to the last post because I really have nothing more to say. I'm in the motivated vein to be working on this project so I brought it to work with me today for lunchtime knitting. It's still in it's infant stages so I don't have to LUG a lot around. Hopefully I'll get a row or some done while at lunch.

Speaking of rows... I've noticed a couple of spots of rowing out... weird thing is, it's not the WHOLE row... it's only a little part, like right in the middle... weird. I'll have to pay a big more attention. I don't usually have the problem, of course it's been awhile since I've done stockinette NOT in the round. I've noticed my knit guage has gotten a little tighter. I think it's from too much sock knitting on US1 with smaller weight yarn. I did so many worsted wt project for so long I became very consistent. I guess that is a good reason to keep multiple things going all the time, get your hands trained for the big and all the little stuff.

Speaking of big (ok, apparently I did have more to say, just not on the OpRag), I was reading through 2 of my Aran sweater books that were aquired recently. I REALLY love the one... and oddly enough I thought I would like the OTHER one better, but no matter. Anyway, it gives great description on HOW to design your own pattern and how to use the stitch panels, etc. Information I kind of know already, but it was still nice to read anyway and I LOVE some of the stitches in this book.

I don't however "care" for the construction/finished piecing of the sweaters in the book, perhaps I need to reread that part... but in any case, I was thinking of going back to Barbara walker's design construction for the top down... but I have plenty to work on right now... but the wheels they are turning. I would like a big bulky aran sweater, it's one of those things I've always wanted.

And for some time, I've really wanted to make a sweater for my dad and I can't remember how to spell the STYLE but I know it sounds like Coweechin. It's one of those sweaters, typically done in natural spun aran or bulky yarn and they typically have an animal on them. Anyway if you know what I'm talking about, please remind me of the spelling and if you don't know, I promise to look for it this weekend and post about it again. Anyway, so yeah,I want to make one of those for my dad.

Ok... I better get some work done. The sooner the work day goes by, the sooner I get to go hang with my girls and knit! :)