Bron's Blog II

Still on schedule.... Despite being

Still on schedule....

Despite being a really crazy weekend, I'm still spot on for finishing Buttons on Monday. (crossed fingers) The left front is complete and the right front will be underway shortly.

In the meantime I have two sleepovers & one B-day party to coordinate. Drop off one child, pick up another, drop both off, pick up one.... rather like a demented shell game.

Pics tomorrow when I have something more to show!

For once I'm on schedule!

For once I'm on schedule!

Not a very long post today - I'm pretty focused on finishing my Cable Vest. As you can see, I've made quite a bit of progress:



I've finished the back and the "big" cabling. I'm working on the left front now & will have that completed today. I do think I'm on schedule for finishing by Monday...depending on how the I-cord goes on the front edges. I'm really excited - I should be able to wear this vest a few times yet this winter.

In other news, I sold my old car yesterday. It was the first time I've handled the transaction all by myself - from the test drive to the offer/counter offer - and I did well. Comes from all those years of watching my husband dicker! We got what we wanted for the car and (at the risk of sounding mushy) it went to a good home.

Perhaps as a reward for my work as a used car salesperson I should take a bit of that cash & have it on hand...just in case I find a good deal or two on yarn. What do you all think? ::::wink::::

Have a great Friday!

Here's my last word on

Here's my last word on the subject....

Well - I've certainly arrived. Newbie blogger that I am, with only 6 months under my belt, I received my first hate email. Not terribly imaginative like Wendy gets. (I still can't believe people sent her hate mail because she knits so fast!) but more along the lines of: "Bron, you blankety-blank...go blank yourself you blankety blankety blank." Well - blankety right back at ya! LOL

Seriously, though. I saw something happening -- over a period of MONTHS (please remember that!) -- and finally decided to comment. Now that I have I'm certainly not going to dwell on it. The chips have fallen, let us move on...

Yes, let's move on to the terribly thrilling split!:



I've finished the back decreases and now just need 7" more before I shape the fronts. This is starting to go a bit faster - I've put 48 stitches on holders for the bottom of the armholes so obviously I'm knitting fewer stitches. It would be very nice to be tangling (probably literally) with the I-cord edging during the weekend. Wish me luck!

Last night I got to thinking about my nebulous "I'll knit them someday" list and decided to actually write down some things I'd like to have finished in, say, the next 6 months. Here they are, in a semi-particular order:

1. Buttons - should be finished by this time next week.
2. Shawl - this will take awhile. Will probably keep this as a side project for the next few months.
3. Crystal Cove Pullover - I'm dying to start those shortrows!
4. The Jiffy cardi - big, fluffy & should be very fast!
5. Two sweaters for the boys, both using Austermann Coupe
6. Big collared jacket from the Winter Vogue - I really AM considering a knit-a-long. It'd be my first!
7. Santa Fe Shawl - using Sonata from Elann & beads from Hobby Lobby. :::grin:::
8. Some more flower washcloths for gifts made from the cotton chenille I ordered recently.
9. "Kara" by Lavold - in the Winter Knitter's. This one will probably wait until fall. I need to find the perfect yarn & color.
10. An indescribable sweater of my own design - I have the yarn & a vague idea of what I want to happen. I just need to go for it.
11. I want to also design a purse to go with bamboo purse handles I found at Hobby Lobby. Not sure how, yet, but I'm thinking it has to have funky beads incorporated!
12. Just to make it an even dozen, I wanted to tell you that I found my Pacific Northwest Shawl pattern along with a skein of gorgeous 100% merino laceweight yarn in a caramel color. Will this project make it to the needles in 2004? Only time will tell. Ha!

I'm not sure how much of that list I can get finished by the first anniversary of my blog. Especially considering that I KNOW some other project (or two or three) will come along in the meantime to tempt me away.

Happy hump day - may your day and your knitting be as non-controversial as possible. :::grin::::

Oh, oh! PS....I wanted to ask if anyone who's reading this has the "Arans & Celtics" book just published by XRX. I'm really leaning toward buying it 'cause I'm a cable junkie, but wanted hear some opinions before taking the plunge. If anyone want to comment, thanks in advance. :::smile::::

Preface: Every time there is

Preface: Every time there is a little tiff on the KList, we are reminded that it's very hard to tell the "tone" of an email in this electronic medium and to give the sender the benefit of the doubt. So - I'm going to tell you my tone upfront: please read the following with....hmmm...probably "amused befuddlement" would have to be the winner. In other words, don't take the following TOO seriously - it's just an observation...one that I don't believe I've seen mentioned before. Make of it what you will. ::::wicked grin::::

Today I'd like to talk about ..... Copy-Cat Bloggers. ::::gasps and muffled cries from the audience -- one woman swoons but is revived with smelling-salts -- one man's hand drifts down toward his glue-gun but he's stopped by a vigilant Copper -- murmured denials are rampant but a few are listening closely::::

As I said in Sunday's post, I've been reading knitting blogs for well over a year now -- both in the blog rings & not. I know which are the "popular" bloggers & which are struggling to find their place. Most of us (80% of us) are somewhere in the middle - not so popular that people suck up, but not so lost that we can't think of something interesting (we hope!) to say.

I'm also gifted with a really good memory -- especially for little, inconsequential facts (don't ever play Trivial Pursuit with me - ha!) so things like photo captions and certain turns of phrase tend to stick in my head. ("It's a gift...and a curse." -- Adrian Monk) That's where the amused befuddlement comes in - there are bloggers out there who actually copy what other people write on their blogs! I'm not talking patterns - I'm talking phrases, photo captions and placement, titles, whole subjects!

Obviously the "what's hot to knit" topics are excluded here - I don't count multi-directional scarves/socks/knit-a-longs/rip-a-longs, etc. as "copying." Shoot - "everyone's" talking about them & that's fine & dandy. I'm talking about, say, a specific knit stitch -- an esoteric stitch that's only found in an equally obscure knitting book published in Lithuania in the 18th century, brought across the sea on a whaling ship that wrecked on an island where the natives decided to burn all copies of this tome of knitting knowledge but two were saved by a kindly missionary's wife. In other words, a topic that's pretty darn specific.

I'll read about it on a blog one day & I'll be darned if I don't read the SAME thing on another blog the following day! Same information and, quite often, the same "tone" of writing.

And how do I know that person has read the first blog entry? How do I know the chances are good it's a Copy-Cat Blogger? ....

'Cause most of the time the Copy-Cat has left a comment on the original bloggers entry!!!

--- Here's an aside --- Didn't you Copy-Cats learn anything in high school? When you copy, you don't copy verbatim! You change things around a bit - use your own words once in awhile - and at least TRY to make it sound like your own work. And for goodness' sake, DON'T leave a trail (a comment) pointing straight to you! Come on, people..if you're going to do it, do it right! ----

I know you're wondering ...yes, there are a few people out there who've actually copied ME! I'm too busy being baffled to be flattered.

I'm thinking it must all go back to the popularity issue. Everyone wants their blog to be read - lots of knitting bloggers are anxious to be popular, knowledgeable, witty, urbane, droll, and (oh, yeah) acknowledged as great knitters. There are a very few that are willing to steal to get there. Then too, I suppose some people are just plain lazy...or feel they don't have the "gift of gab" necessary for blogging.

I mentioned that I'd noticed more of this as the blogging community grew. I want to make clear that it isn't newbies in particular that are copying - it's just that the more people there are blogging, the more likely it will be to have a few Copy-Cats.

Here's my caveat: I'm sure that I've inadvertantly used a phrase or an idea from another blog in my time and not given credit to the original blogger. Hopefully not in the same week, but mistakes will happen. I really do try hard to say things like, "Hey - I was reading on So-and-So's blog yesterday about this..." Or - "Go over to So-and-So's and see what you think about this topic, here's what I think..." Something along those lines. I wanted to make this statement to stem the flood of emails/comments pointing a finger (I'm not saying WHICH finger) right back at me. I know I've probably cadged from another blog....I also know I've never made a habit of it.

In closing, I'd like to say that I don't get the need to copy without credit. There are plenty of topics in knitting that could use a fresh perspective -- read some books or magazines or swatch awhile & I'll bet something will occur to you. Or if you'd like to talk about something you read somewhere else....just type another line that includes a "footnote." It's easy & will save lots of hurt feelings in the end.

There - hopefully that was interesting enough to be worth the wait! ;) Have a great Tuesday!

PS...um...Marcia? I believe there was mention of a sticky bun?

Whoa......Nellie! Don't split so fast!

Whoa......Nellie! Don't split so fast!

or...

Gee, Bron, where ya been?

If you've been reading this blog for any length of time, you know I love to be on schedule. I usually post here every morning - occasionally skipping a day . Well, I really confused myself by posting late in the afternoon on Thursday, then figuring that would be my Friday morning post, then skipping Saturday 'cause I didn't have much to say. Ha! I really need to quit trying to be consistent & just post when the mood strikes...keep everyone guessing. Hehehehe.

Now - as to the "Whoa...Nellie" reference: I've gotten to the 16" mark on CV (Cables Vest - pretty lame new name, eh?) but before I started to split for the armholes, I decided to make the body just a couple of inches longer. I'm fairly long waisted and I really dislike too-short or "cropped" looks. Plus I no longer have the figure to carry off any look that shows stomach when I raise my arms. Trust me - it isn't pretty. Even after I lose weight, I still wouldn't do it. So.....It'll be a couple more days until you can see the exciting underarm split. Be there or be square!

I picked up the new Vogue - advertising cover & all - and (as usual) I've got some things to say...this time fairly positive. (Yeah - I know - I must be losing my touch.) But what I can say...I liked some stuff!:



Ok - the fringe part doesn't thrill me. But the big collar does, as well as the one button closure. Plus it uses Lion Brand Homespun (what a surprise...NOT!...more on that later) and they managed to pick some fav colors of mine. So - I can see myself making it...although probably adding an inch or two (or three) in length. :::wink:::



I just like this one - so shoot me. I even like the turtleneck & I'm not a huge fan of that look...at least on me.



I REALLY liked this one. The fitted "fit" - the interesting cabled ribbing, the bodice treatment - everything. When I've lost about 25 lbs. I'm going to revisit this one! You know - once I have a waist again. ::::BIG wink::::

About the advertising by Lion Brand as the cover of Vogue Knitting...I've heard some outrage voiced on the KList - "advertising doesn't belong AS the cover...how dare they." types of things. And I say...."Eh." I don't care one way or the other. I will say that Lion Brand must have pretty deep pockets to afford that kind of exposure...and to have a design or two by Vogue Knitting in the mag itself. The little red-headed stepchild is coming up in the world indeed!

I was going to go on to another rather controversial subject but I'm going to save it for Tuesday. I need to think about how I'm going to word it just a wee bit more. Suffice to say it's about the knitting blog world in general and a few individuals (although I WON'T name blogs!) in particular. "My, my" you're thinking, "What is going on in Bron's demented mind THIS time?" Well - it's something I've noticed since I started reading blogs (LOTS & lots of blogs for well over a year now) and I think it's becoming more commonplace as more people start their own. There - can you guess what I'll be talking about from that hint??? Hehehe

I leave you with one more pic:



This is the "new to me" Caddy with which I'm "making do" until the day I get an Outback. Poor little me, right? Yeah - I'm really suffering. Ha!

Hope everyone is having a calm, cool & collected weekend. See ya Tuesday morning!

After months of posts without

After months of posts without titles, today we have a plethora....

Absence really DOES make the heart grow fonder....

After languishing in my knitting basket for at least 6 weeks, my Buttons vest once again saw the light of day. In case you've forgotten, here's where I left off:



Hmmmm...pretty center cable....


Please ignore the washed out color! Today I was once again reminded of the true joy in multiple projects. After knitting on little stuff for awhile it's SO nice to pick up something weighty..and something that's already half finished! I fell in love with the springy, warm yarn all over again while admiring the cabley goodness of the pattern. Alas, there is still a lot of garter, but with only 3" to go before I divide for the armholes, I think I can tough it out.

Mom was right - you CAN put your eye out!

Here is my flower washcloth on its' size 6 dpns. The needles match the yarn....that is so cutesy and (honest) totally unintentional. ::::shudder::::


Things I have learned about double-pointed needles:
1. I'm a three needle knitter rather than a four. I just can't figure out where to put that extra needle while working with four. The stitches you see are soon to be redistributed on three needles for my knitting comfort!
2. It's MUCH easier to knit with dpns if they aren't sliding out of your stitches all the time. For me:
plastic = a semi-painless knitting experience.
metal = knitting frustration and a funny blog entry!

"Where are the arms?" or....it's a darn good thing I didn't make her a shawl! I sent Signa's bed cape to my brother, who took it to the home. Evidently it was a HUGE deal that it didn't have arms. (If I would've know I could've sewn up the sides a bit & faked it.) Lessons learned here:
1. No more capes or shawls for my mother.
2. Try to save gifts until they can be given in person - brother wasn't the best choice to discuss cape placement with Mom.

If you stare at something long enough...it won't end up in the GSRP box
In anxious anticipation of the GSRP box arriving on my doorstep -- although I happen to be in a very late starting group! -- I've been taking things out of my stash and making a pile of what I can contribute. Unfortunately for the box (and fortunately for me) I've found that the longer I have to look at something the more likely it is that I find a use for it. It's easy to give something away if you grab it out of a tub & pop it into a box. But if the yarn is out day after day, week after week, you start to have second thoughts. For example, ever since I heard about the project I thought I would contribute some Stahl Bandolino in a color they call "Kiwi" but I call your basic lime green. Purchased from Elann last summer, I went with this color because I wanted to stretch my color horizons --get out of my "earthtones and purples" rut. When it came in the mail I thought, "Ok - WAY too far outa my rut...looks like I landed in a cornfield!," so I put it away.

But you know what? I've had it out on my table for a month now and danged if that green hasn't grown on me. (No - not like green mold - sheesh - I heard that!) I even found a lovely little pattern (crocheted, but I can live with that) for a short-sleeved summer cardi that would be perfect for this yarn.

Lesson learned: Wait for the dang box to land on your doorstep, then grab from a tub & mail the box before you change your mind!

Kinda cute, if I do

Kinda cute, if I do say so myself..

Here it is...all sewn up....



It's an 18 month size, which is fine 'cause that's the one I was knitting! I never did hit gauge (the pattern designer must knit incredibly loosely) but since it's for a baby, gauge mattered to me even less than usual. hehehehehe. You can find the pattern here under "One Stitch Baby Sweater" (scroll down a bit.)

The buttons (those bright, blurry things you can't quite make out) I found at Hobby Lobby. They are happy faces with tongues hanging out the side - a sideways raspberry? That's what I thought. Anyway, I thought they projected the proper atttitude for a baby just getting his landlegs.

Now it's back to my shawl...Buttons....and the flower facecloth. I think Buttons is winning for my project of choice today. After all that garter on the baby sweater -- I need to QUIT choosing garter projects! -- I could use some cables in my life.

Speaking of projects....and therefore yarn...I popped over to
Marie's yesterday and drooled over her yarn purchases. I'd been thinking of making another buy from Over the Rainbow Yarns but have so far restrained myself. I did browse through her eBay auctions and was taken with a certain sock yarn. But what the heck would I do with sock yarn? I don't knit socks. I thought of a lacey shawl...and then thought of the shawl I have on the needles as well as the two waiting in the wings...patterns & all.

As I said, so far I've restrained myself. Sigh...it's so HARD being good! Especially since it seems everyone is making some great yarn purchases. Here's someone else...
Sandy. It sounds like they had a great time! I think I might save my pennies and actually go to my LYS sometime in February. It's time I fingered & fondled in person, wouldn't you say? Don't worry - I'll take pics for those who like a vicarious thrill :::wink::::

Seems like Monday to me!

Seems like Monday to me!

The only bad thing about a 3 day weekend is that it screws up my sense of time terribly. Now I'll be a day behind all week!

While I was complaining to myself about holidays, I managed to finish all but the left side on the One-Stitch Baby Sweater:



I stopped here because I couldn't find buttons I liked in my button stash...of course! I need to know how big to make the buttonholes -- and how many to make -- before I start knitting the left side. So it's off to Hobby Lobby after my AM walk.

And yes - the sweater DOES look a tad on the..um...large side. I've decided she can use it next year when the baby is 1! hehehehe....

Since I couldn't just sit & watch "Fear Factor" with nothing to knit (lest you think I'm totally without education, the History Channel's new program "The Barbarians" was taping in the boy's room) I started this:



This cotton chenille is acting the way it should. In fact, I'm sensing bloomability as I knit. Since our guest bathroom is done in shades of purple and green, this little beauty is destined to drape artfully out of a charmingly rustic basket...sharing space with a luffa that will never be used and a full bottle of some sort of fruit-scented lotion that smells better in the bottle than on a person!

Just a site note: I've now moved the pics of my finished items to my other website - they are accessible through the link at the top right. I think it's much better to have a gallery - less fuss on the sidebar and room for lots more pics!

The weather people have said that we're actually getting some winter-type stuff moving in today. Woohoo! Finally! Bring it on! I'm ready - everyone out of the house, lots of knitting and...."Once Upon a Time in Mexico" is out today....hmmmm...Antonio Banderas....

Have a good Tuesday - I know I will!

The Pats are in the

The Pats are in the Super Bowl!!!!!!

Now back to your regularly scheduled blog....

Baby a Go-Go Despite my

Baby a Go-Go

Despite my left arm aching terribly Friday & Saturday (more on that in a bit) I managed to make some progress on the baby sweater:



You're looking at the back, backarms and the little bits in the upper corners are the "cuffs." Again - this is Lion Brand Cotton Ease and is a much brighter shade of red than the photo portrays! Another inch and I'll be splitting for the two fronts. I'm hoping I'll be finished - all but the buttons - by Monday. I'll have to see what I have on hand - I was thinking of each button as a different primary color but I'm not sure I have what I need in my stash. I may end up doing ladybug buttons or somesuch just so I don't have to buy 4 different cards to get 4 different buttons!

As I said, my left arm was REALLY hurting when I woke up on Friday morning. It's the same pain I had a week or so ago & I was baffled as to the cause. I put one of those heat wraps around it on Friday and it helped tremendously. Then in the afternoon I paid close attention to how I was knitting. Long story short, I decided I need support for my left arm. I've been sitting on our couch to knit and have no support for either arm. Because of the funky way I knit, I move my left arm for every stitch (dipping the whole project toward my body as I throw the yarn with my right...you'd have to see me knit to understand!) I don't do that when I knit Continentally, but I switch back to throwing when I want to watch TV and not my hands. I guess it's a kind of repetitive stress injury....sounds terribly official when I say it like that. :::grin:::

So now I have a pillow under my left elbow while knitting and it's helped quite a lot. Hubbie and I were planning on getting two Lazy-Boys anyway and now I know having a chair with large arms will help with my knitting aches & pains.

Speaking of getting something new, I really AM getting a new-to-me car but due to some logistic problems it isn't in my driveway *quite* yet. My old car, however, is out there with a For Sale sign on it. Yippee!

Keep your fingers crossed for my knitting time today...I'm helping the boys clean their room this morning and I'm afraid I might go in there & never come out! ......

"Armed with a dustrag, a trashbag, and sheer determination she pauses at the doorway. Screwing up her courage she inches one foot forward into the abyss. Her weight shifts forward and all hell breaks loose. A subtle vibration is felt throughout the room as toys begin falling, popping, swinging, swooping, CRASHING toward our heroine in the doorway. "Save yourselves!" She cries to her children while dodging Lego creations, Yu-Gi-Oh cards, books, Gameboys, stuffed animals, and candy wrappers. As her legs give out from under her and darkness closes in she hears a voice gibbering hysterically....
and loses all hope when she realizes it is her own......."

Happy Sunday!