I'ts DONE! I finished the boatneck shell last night! It fits really well, and looks quite cool. I'm going to wear it out today. I didn't do the edging around the sleeves, just the neck, and I like how it looks that way, it comes in a little at the shoulders which is quite flattering. My goodness that yarn was awful. It made a simple pattern into a nightmare!! I may just burn the one ball I have left over!!!!!!!!

Friday Five:
When was the last time you:
1. ...sent a handwritten letter?
It's been a couple of months I think. It's my penpal's turn to write me! ;) But I've sent handstamped cards since then.

2. ...baked something from scratch or made something by hand?
I baked earlier this week from scratch (peanut butter banana muffins with chocolate chips) . I make greeting cards with rubber stamps all the time and have been knitting daily.

3. ...camped in a tent?
About 2 years ago, with my husband. We have bad luck camping, so we avoid it.

4. ...volunteered your time to church, school, or community?
Well I'm working on some cards and knit stuff to donate to a raffle for the childcare department at work, and I donated blood about a month ago.

5. ...helped a stranger?
I can't remember one instance at this moment, but I always try to help people, whenever it comes up!

Well I have picked my next project! I borrowed the Spring/Summer Vogue Knitting mag from the library last night, and now I want to make that top on the cover! It's a sleevless turtleneck aran style sweater, with multiple cables up the front. It looks stunning, and though it's a bit ambitious, I think I can pull it off. I just need to pick a yarn, I don't think I want to make it in the suggested cashmere blend! It looks like a nice mercerized cotton would suit it well, and I like the colour they've done it in too. Has anyone else made this top? Any tips or suggestions?

I'm going to finish the boat neck shell first, not too far to go on it. I'm about a quarter of the way up the top, and should have some good knitting time in the evenings this week. Boy I'm going to have to start on christmas stuff soon, but making things for myself is just too much fun!!!

I wore my sleeveless turtleneck I made to a get-together yesterday, and got quite a few compliments. I always like to hear the "you MADE that????" heehee. I'm still working away on the boatneck shell. The front is moving along a little more quickly than the back did, I'm getting more used to this difficult yarn I think. It sure looks long though. Well I will just wait and see how it turns out. (ripping is NOT an option, this yarn would not allow it!) Off to stamp club tonight. Hopefully I will get something done and not just spend the whole time yakking as I often do.

FRIDAY FIVE:
1. Do you live in a house, an apartment or a condo?
I live in an apartment. (1br + a den)

2. Do you rent or own?
We rent. Until hubby is done with school and we know where he will get a job, we don't want to buy.

3. Does anyone else live with you?
My husband. We don't have any pets.

4. How many times have you moved in your life?
Hmmmm....once when I was really little (don't remember it), then out on my own, to one other apt with my then-fiance, and finally to where we are now. All in the same city.

5. What are your plans for this weekend?
Lots - Watching Ocean's 11 and Oz with hubby tonight and knitting. Tomorrow I have a bike training course all day, then to a friend's house to rubber stamp. Sunday morning, grocery shopping and maybe visiting the in-laws for a bit, then off to a planning session for an upcoming Dungeons and Dragons Campain! (I'm excited they invited me, I haven't played any of the D&D systems before!)

SUCCESS!!! Thanks to Bonne Marie's kind and patient help, the back of the boat neck shell is done! Once she explained it, I don't know how I managed to get it so wrong in the first place, heehee. I have only barely begun the front now, but hope I can make some good progress on it this weekend. It seems long, though. Maybe I am used to shorter tops, that fall just below the waistband. We'll see once it's done. I'm also happy to see that I have more than enough yarn, the back took EXACTLY 3 balls, and I have 7 - whew!

I'm headed to a friend's house saturday night to do some rubber stampnig. We get together reasonably often to stamp together, and there will be another friend there. It's always lots of fun to stamp with them, and I get to share their stamps too - bonus!

I'm having trouble thinking of what to make with my swap meet yarn. It's 150grams of pink, so I'm thinking a baby yarn for that fundraiser. It's hard to find a pattern without being familiar with this type of yarn. It's Baycrest "Tara", 20st=10cm on 4mm needles. It's like one thick strand and one thinner strand or something, making it a little "lumpy". Almost like Paton's Paradiso in a way. Has anyone used this type of yarn before? Any suggestions or ideas? Do I have enough in three balls for a sweater, or should I stick to a hat and booties or something?

Still working away on the Boatneck Shell. This yarn is quite hard to work with, the threads catch and pull, and undoing any stitches is very difficult, so it is slow going. I'm really happy with how it is looking and feeling though. I want to get this top finished so I can wear it!

I picked up some more needles, and a needle gauge this weekend at a swap meet, and 3 skeins of a pretty pink yarn, kind of a boucle. Should be enough to make a small baby item for that fundraiser at work. It was only 25cents a ball, I couldn't NOT buy it at that price! ( I love swap meets and garage sales!)

Well the Casual Tee has been set aside. It was frustrating me too much....I want to enjoy knitting, not be frustrated by it! So I started onBonne Marie's free pattern for a Boatneck Shell. I have this funky yarn I found at a Thrift Shop, Dale Sahara or something like that, that is a multicoloured, verigated thready boucle. It's knitting up so soft and light! It's a little hard to work with, the threads split and catch and stuff, but it doesnt really matter as it all blends in. I wish I had a digital camera to share pics of this stuff! Maybe I could scan the yarn with our flatbed scanner....I wonder how that would turn out?

I got home last night and pulled out that sweater I'm working on, only to see ANOTHER MISTAKE!! I'd bound off 6 stitches on one side and 8 on the other. That ought to teach me not to circle the size I'm working on in a pattern! (6 bind offs was for a small, 8 for a medium, which I'm doing) So I ripped it all out AGAIN (gosh Patons Canadianna is forgiving of ripping!) and went merrily on my way. It was looking great, and I decided to count my stitches to check myself. Bad move, I've got the wrong number! I may just have miscounted, but either way I'm leaving it until tonight to deal with!

The childcare department where I work is having a raffle fundraiser. They've asked staff who are creative to donate handmade toys, children's things, and neat gift items as prizes. I definitely want to donate something, but I am having trouble deciding what. My first thought was a package of handmade greeting cards (rubber stamped) but then I thought maybe I could knit something. A baby or kid's item would be small enough to not cost a ton for the yarn and would work up fast. Any suggestions? I'd love a pattern that's not too difficult, but looks pretty neat, so people will want to win it, hehe.

I bring my knitting to work pretty much every day now. I do email-based support so my tasks come in bursts, tons to do then hours of nothing, so knitting fills the time nicely. Its also a great break on super busy days, and a nice break for my wrists from typing. BUT today I was trying to relax by knitting, as work was frustrating the heck out of me........not a great idea. I screwed up. I frogged it and re-knit.....wrong again! This didn't relax me one bit!!!! Happily I have re-frogged, and reknit properly this time, and since got relaxed enough to continue working.

I'm trying to decide on another project to start. I'm still working on the casual tee, but I want to make one of Bonne Marie's boat neck shells. I have that new 'paper' yarn, and I also have that mystery "Dale Sahara" thready boucle. I'm leaning towards the mystery yarn, its really quite nifty looking, and I think it would suit a plainer top design quite well. It might be a bit too thin though....I'll swatch and see. The paper yarn might make a nice ribbed tank top later, I'm still nervous to start working with it, so it will wait.

PERSONAL YARNS:
Desert isle keepers
With all essentials being taken care of, what would you take along to a deserted island for the nourishment of your soul?
1. (non-knitting) book
Something by Robert Fulghum (All I Needed to know I learned in Kindergarten)
2. movie
The Princess Bride. I will never tire of this one!
3. music
Peter Gabriel -Secret World Live
4. food
Chocolate!! Probably coffee crisps
5. knitting book, yarn & needles
I don't have any knitting books...Maybe Knit It magazine, some size 6 needles and some generic yarn, something versitile!

Well the socks are done! Funny thing is, my first one turned out perfect, and I screwed up the second one! Well actually, I did two extra decreases in the foot of the first one, but hubby said that made it fit better. The second one didnt have those decreases (cuz I really don't know how and wear they happenned) plus I somehow had about 6 extra rows in the ankle, so its longer! Ah well, for my very first pair of socks, on some thrift shop yarn, I'm happy! I chucked them in the wash to see how they'd do but I haven't looked at them yet.

I had to head up island this weekend for a lacrosse game, and did some yarn shopping on the way. I found the most amazing yarn shop! I was awestruck....They had every type and stage of yarn, from unspun, to the fanciest of novelty yarns. The store was packed with wool and supplies. They had all different needles (brittany, bamboo, plastic, metal, turbos, etc) and I just didn't have enough time (or money) to fully appreciate it. I did pick up some cool yarn from the clearance bin, 8 skeins of Phildar Paper Phil in a pretty blue at $3 (canadian) each. Has anyone used this stuff before? Its really light and papery, almost like Jcloth I guess. I thought it would make a great lightweight shell.....any suggestions on a pattern?

I like socks! wheee!

I'm having so much fun knitting this sock. I don't know what it is.....it's just.....Fun! I like working on 4 needles, and how the decreases shape it. I'm nearly done this sock actually, just up to grafting the toe which I will try to do tonight when I get home from work. I had a couple of errors....a couple of decreases found their way to the top of the sock, but other than making the "foot" part a little thinner, It doesn't really matter all that much. I don't know if I will make a mate for it. I want to try it on first. If it fits nice then I will. The yarn (Patons Canadianna) is a bit thick so I'd use them as "wearing around the house" socks probably.

Oh and I love these plastic red DPN needles! Are they some special brand, does anyone know? They are about 9 inches long, and plastic - did I score some name-brand DPNs or are they just kiddie needles? ;) I know without a pic I am asking for incredible feats of ESP and needle sense, but I am hoping someone has seen needles like this and from my limited description can figure it out. I wonder if they come in different colours? Ooohhhh green ones would be nifty! Let me know if you've ever seen coloured plastic DPNs so I can find out where to buy more!

UPDATE!

Thanks to an explaination from shetha and some great photos and tips from Socks 101 I got this heel thing figured out. Boy this is fun! I just wish I hadn't run out of yarn! Now I have to wait until I get home to see how it finishes.

Funniest thing happened. I saw the end of the yarn and realized I would have to stop knitting soon. A moment later I realized I was knitting faster and faster, as though I could "outrun" the end of the yarn and not let it catch up with me! What a goofball!

HELP! These Basic Socks also have Basic Instructions that don't explain everything! I did the ankle part, and then the heel flap, no problems there. Now it says:
TURN HEEL - 12 STS. REMAINING
What? I have 20 stitches for the heel flap, where does 12 come in? Also what does "turn heel" mean? what do I do? The instructions go on to say:
Row 1: P12, P2tog, P1, turn
Again with the "turning"???

Please help, I was having so much fun with these socks I hate being stuck!

I'm making SOCKS!!!! I'm so very excited, just in case you can't tell. I've been wanting to tackle socks for quite a while now, I just didn't have the guts to try them. Well, this weekend I picked up a nifty set of red plastic DPNs in about size 6 (don't have a needle guage) and started this pattern from socknitters.com. I've done the cuff and a few rows past that and so far I'm having a load of fun. I am loving watching the top of the sock appear as I knit, and using 4 DPNs is something a little different. The needles look SO cool, bright red with a smoky blue yarn around them.

So I am joining the ranks of knitters with many WIPs lying about. I have a scarf I don't know how to finish, a tank top that's maybe 15% done, about 25% of a lacey t-shirt, and the sock. But I like having a couple things going, it's fun. Plus the sock is much easier to pack to work with me, since I have started biking to work I have to pack everything in these little pannier bags.