Diamond 3

Last night, just before going to get my hair all hacked off (I shouldn't say hacked, sounds like I don't like my stylist's choice doesn't it?), I cast on and knit the 3rd of the 18 diamonds for the AbFab Throw. This diamond completes the foundation row, and from here on out the cast on stitches are picked up from the edges of 2 other diamonds so there's no sewing pieces together once finished.

Tonight I did the first 1/2 diamond on the outside edge of row 2. Photo of that probably tomorrow.



I've been picking at the Flickering Flames skirt again too. I'm not sure why, but I lost interest in knitting this project. I haven't lost interest in having the completed skirt, just in knitting it. I've made myself complete at least 2 rounds each night, and as long as I stick to that, I should have this finished before my vacation ends. I'm seriously considering taking this as my only available project to knit on during the drive to and from Atlanta. That should get it pretty well finished by next Tuesday when we return.



Paul's socks should have been done long ago, but we know what happens when I start playing a computer game. I guess knitting isn't the only thing I can be obsessive compulsive about. I'm just about to start the last brown stripe, then the toe is all that's left. If I don't manage to get it done tonight, it will be first on the knitting agenda for tomorrow night.

I almost managed to miss June

Although this photo intensive post doesn't seem to reflect it, I've taken almost a full month off from knitting. I won't go into details. Let's just leave it at I purchased an expansion pack for a computer game I haven't played in almost 2 years, and it kept me obsessed and away from my needles for awhile.

Just before I took my little break I finished up the Tapestry Skirt. I love it!! I get a lot of comments on it when I wear it. The fit turned out perfect, and it's very cool and comfortable.







I had also finished up another dishcloth just before I lost my mind and quit knitting for a month.



Another finished project during the break was the Fair Isle Tam I had been picking at since last fall. It turned out much smaller than I thought it would, so I gave it to a co-worker for her daughter.

Aren't these the cutest baby pictures!!

I'll have to ask her mom to get me a shot of the top of the tam. I was so excited about giving it to her, I completely forgot to get pictures for myself first.

Both June dishcloths were finished this weekend.

Yesterday, I decided to take one of my WIPs into my LYS and knit for a bit. That's about all it took to get out of computer game mode and back into knitting mode. While knitting and chatting with the ladies, I kept eyeballing the Colinette AbFab Afghan kits. I loved the greens and peaches in the yarn and couldn't resist buying it.

It's knitting up pretty quickly so far. I'm going to try to knit one diamond each day. The first 2 are already done.

I'm still working on a couple pair of socks and a skirt, but that didn't stop me from casting on another project. I bought some Rowan Bamboo Tape in rose to make Granite from Rowan #43. I should have some in progress photos in a few days when there's a bit more to show. Right now it looks a bit like a giant pink curly fry.

Hopefully I'll get a few more posts in before leaving for Atlanta next weekend.

Tapestry update .... among other things

I've done really well sticking to the couple of projects I allowed myself to keep out of the craft room. I haven't even been tempted to bring up any of the others so far.

Yesterday brought the finishing of the first Celtic Knotwork Fingerless Glove. I'm really pleased with the way this turned out and am anxious to start on the colorwork section of glove #2.



Last night while watching Hell's Kitchen, I made my way through the monotonous k1 p1 ribbing on the cuff of the second glove, and tonight I plan to get through pattern A. These should, by all rights, be finished up this weekend.



Lately, I've been itching to cast on another pair of socks. Since I didn't want to get into another situation like with the Tantalizing socks, I cast on a simple stockinette pair for myself. I'm not quite sure these colors are really my cup of tea, but the combo will do.



While rumaging in the sock yarn basket, I came across some yarn I was planning to use to make a pair of men's socks. Of course, since everyone knows I can't resist casting on too many projects at once, I decided I had to knit up the skein. Originally the socks were going to be for my stepdad, but Paul really likes them, so Ron will get a different pair. I tried to buy another skein so they could each have a pair, but I've been unsuccessful finding this line of ONline yarn anywhere. It may be discontinued.



There has been much progress on the Tapestry Skirt along with the smaller projects. I am now halfway through the first of two eyelet repeats. Now that I don't have to do any more counting for the chain pattern rows, it is knitting up quicker. I'm hoping to have this done this weekend so I can wear it to work next week.



I'm thinking socks are going to hold my attention for awhile. Digging around in the sock yarn got me inspired to cast on all those lovely skeins I've collected over the past year or so. Also on the "menu" to be finished soon are the Flickering Flames skirt and Fair Isle Tam I have on the needles. Once those are completed, I can cast on one of the new projects I've bought yarn for.

Change in plans

Sometimes it really sucks getting old LOL. In the past 4 months or so I have gained about 25 pounds. Now I'm not complaining about the weight, mind you. It's the distribution of it that is getting to me. Some of it is just fine with me. For example, I've increased a cup size. No complaints there! But the pudge that is making me look about 5 months preggers has got to go.

I got myself a yoga mat, one of those exercise balls, and a pilates dvd. It is kicking my ass! My entire body hurts. This so better be worth it. I'm just praying I can keep the boobage ROFL.

The hardest part of the workout is any move that has me moving my left arm. I've been having problems with that shoulder. Guess it's time for another deep tissue massage to help release whatever is causing the problem with the rotator.

At least it's not hampering my knitting!

Tonight I finished the first May dishcloth. Turns out making all these is coming in pretty handy. We got a new stove a couple weeks ago. One of those flat cooktop ones with the turbo boil burner. The cotton dishcloths work great for shining it up.



I got started on the fair isle portion of the Celtic Knotwork Fingerless Gloves last night. I am using leftover yarn from the Mermaid jacket I made last year for my mother, along with other tidbits of leftover yarn in the right weight. Fair Isle gloves and mittens are great projects for using up leftovers you just can't bear to throw away, but are too sparse for anything of substance.



Tonight I am working on the Tapestry skirt. Both the gloves and skirt are calling my name, and I just don't feel like working on the other projects in the weekly lineup. I think I am going to give in to their call and knit on them until I either finish them, or something else starts calling to me. While it was a lot of fun at first to work on something different each day, it is losing it's appeal now. Just when I feel like I'm getting into a rhythm with a project, it's time to put it away for a week. I'll just have to be a bit more careful than in the past with bringing too many projects up from the craft room.

Of course, this will mean you all have to look at the same couple of projects every time I blog, but I think you'll manage to deal with it.

Tomorrow, an update on the Tapestry skirt.

3 done, 1 frogged

It's been awhile since I blogged. Quite awhile actually. I've been so busy with work that there have been days I get home so late all I do is eat, shower, and go to bed. Can you believe it? Delana not knitting!

No fears. There were a lot more days where I did do some knitting, but I just couldn't find time to blog about it. Every night I'd think "tomorrow I'll take some photos and blog", but it just never happened. Tonight I decided enough was enough and pulled out the camera.

Saturday I finished up the Meida's socks. The seasilk is so soft! I hope it holds up to many wearings.



Close up of the lace pattern. Again, I didn't get outside before it got too dark, so the colors aren't very true.



The Lauryn Waistcoat was off the needles 4/26, and I wore it to work today. There is no shaping whatsoever in this vest, but the stitch pattern and the drape of the yarn give the impression that there is a bit. I really like this and am glad I decided to give it a go despite the negative reviews I saw over the internet.



The third project finished during my nonblogging 3 weeks is the April Mid-Month Dishcloth. This is a great pattern for using up little odds and ends of leftover dishcloth cotton. I see more of these in my future.



I was browsing through some of my knitting books while doing some more decluttering of the craft room and ran across the log cabin knitting section in Mason Dixon Knitting. Back when I purchased the book I planned to use up my leftover sock yarn making a log cabin blanket, but just never got around to casting it on. Last weekend I remedied that. I bought myself a nice sized bin to throw all those odds and ends of sock yarn in and have it sitting next to my bed. Any time I need some mindless knitting I grab a ball and make another strip.



I've decided that I will make squares this size and sew them together when I have enough. Eventually the strips would take more yarn than I have to complete if I just kept going, and since the goal was to use up leftovers, I didn't want to get into a situation where I had to purchase more yarn just to get strips long enough.

Remember those Tantalizing socks I was making? Well, yesterday I was nearing the middle of the foot on the first one when I realized to my dismay that I was most certainly going to run out of yarn! Needless to say, the sock has been frogged and the yarn rewound into a cake ready to cast on a different pattern. One day I will buy enough yarn to make the Tantalizing socks, it just wasn't meant to be right now :0(

I mentioned that I had been busy at work. I've also been stressing a lot. Friday was the worst! I had to let someone go. It was really hard for me to do since this person was not just an employee. I also considered her my friend. I think it was the single most difficult thing I have ever done in my life. Afterwards, when my boss was talking to me about it, I got really upset and cried. That wasn't even the end of it. After I got home, I took a long hot shower and bawled the whole time. I don't ever want to go through something like that again. It was awful.

It was so awful, in fact, that I broke one of my resolutions. I caved and bought yarn! Paul didn't even say anything about it. He just drove me to the yarn store and let me shop to my heart's content.

I bought yarn to make several projects from the Summer 2008 issue of IK. There are quite a few I want to make, but I limited myself to cotton for the Tapestry Skirt, silk for the Roped Shell, and hemp for the Plaid Halter.

I cast on the Tapestry Skirt that afternoon while Paul and I watch movies and listened to the rain outside. I'm really liking the pattern so far and hope I don't lose interest and not get it finished in time to wear this year. This project is taking the place of the Tantalizing Socks in the weekly lineup, although I am keeping it nearby to work on if and when the mood strikes me.



The other projects I bought yarn for will have to wait until at least 2 WIPs have been completed before being cast on.

Tomorrow will bring photos of the Celtic Knotwork Fingerless Gloves cast on yesterday as my May Mitten/Glove a Month project.