I have found myself throughly caught up into knitting. I want to knit, I want to keep track of my knitting, I want to delve into it ever deeper and become an "expert" on it. There are several hobbies like this in my life, and knitting and gardening seem to the best options for me.

I have an idea for becoming the ever more expert in knitting, and for keeping track of yarn prices, so that when there is a good buy, I can snatch it up. I am going to start a notebook of yarns. I will keep samples of yarn, with the details it comes with (size, contents, recommended needles, price, etc), along with washed swatches with those appropriate details (gauge, yarn made with, needles made with). I read recently about using 2 threads together with bigger needles to get a bigger gauge, but so far of those I've asked about what the resulting size would be, I've been told "I don't know" and "you'll have to make a swatch". Just about every where, the recommendation is "make a swatch, wash it, block it, and see what size it is." You'd also see the feel after it dries, which would be useful.

On the knitting front, I finished the BSJ a week ago. I've posted just about everywhere and told as many folks as I could about it. I'm so proud of it. Next, I'm making a sweater for myself, while I continue to work on those house shoes. I believe I'm knitting significantly faster than a month ago; I had to take out a great deal on the house shoes, and the reknitting is moving *way* faster than the original knitting. Looks better, too. So encouraging! Means I'm still improving. I know, I know, the more I do it, the better I will get. Nonetheless, its so good to see it happening.

I've been working hard on two knitting projects lately, thus so few posts! The first is a pair of house shoes...

Its the same yarn as the wrist warmers I created before. What you see here is the heal, and I've started knitting in the round for the arch. I had the arch done, but realized I'd messed up some stitches and decided it would be worth going back to fix it, so out came 6.5 cm of purl 1, knit 1.

The second project, but which is far more advanced, is a baby sweater, from Elizabeth Zimmermann's Baby Surprise Jacket pattern. Its so very tiny! I used sport weight (I think) yarn -- sock yarn and US 3 needles. This is for The Sister who is due in October. When she knows the gender of the baby, I'll make a bigger sweater of an appropriate color.

I've also been thinking about how I can make a bit of extra money with the knitting, crocheting and such things that I enjoy doing. I don't think I do enough of it, or fast enough to really be able to make much from the sale of these items, but I might go for making stuff even if I don't have a specific purpose with the thought that if I don't give it away, I can sell it. And perhaps this is something I can do when I'm staying home with kids... a tad extra income.

So many ideas... so little time!

Newest project done! I finished my first knitting project ever... a washcloth...

Not, perhaps, the most complicated of projects, but gives me the confidence to move on to bigger and better things. I've ordered "the knitter's almanac", which should arrive early next week. I think I'll go for a baby surprise jacket first, or a blanket. We will see!

Woot! The second wrist warmer is done! I went back and redid a bit of the first one, refined the pattern.

I'm not sure of the right way to write out a crochet pattern, but here goes:

Chain 48 + 2

turn and DC 31 rows (or more rows if your wrists are wider)

join 10 stitches (to make the tube)

Then DC 19, then join the last 19, tie off

Back to thumb area, start at base of thumb opening

Join 2, then DC 10

turn and DC 10 (back to base of thumb area)

Join 4, then DC 6, turn and join 6

tie it off, turn right side out and wear!

I found out the other day that one of my classes is making a quilt and the teachers have been asked to embroider something about this year also (the kids are each embroidering a square with something from this school year). I decided to do the periodic table (since its Grammar 5 and we are studying chemistry this year). So far, I have groups 1 - 3 1/2 finished....

The bummer is that I found out late, so I need to finish by next Friday, thus the quick and light filling in. I think I'm off to watch a movie and do some more on it!

When you buy x-stitch kits in China, double check colors. I got almost totally done and realized the gal switched two colors, so now my mailbox was pink and not grey as it should be. I decided to go ahead and take out the stitches and do it right. And it took hours! I'm learning, stitch by stitch.

wrist warmers--

Well, that should be "wrist warmer", as I've only finished one. I'm proud of my self, though, I even got the thumb on there. I wish I had tapered the fingers more, as it rather loose right now. Maybe when I do the other one, I can fix that.