I finished my April Socks!
The pattern is Vellamo by Taina Anttila. One of the April SKA challenges was colorwork. I used the yarn I had left over from knitting the Color Affection, plus I added a little red to spice things up a bit. I really liked the pattern and I would probably knit another pair someday.
I also finished a little cardi:
I used the Baby Blizzard pattern, except I left off the design feature. The yarn is Tahki Yarns Cotton Classic. I had two skeins; so, I made the largest size again in order to use up the yarn. I still have to sew on the buttons...
I can now turn my attention to the May Socks and hopefully finish them this next week...because tomorrow is June and I have to start the June Socks soon.
MK out.
I haven't been to the movie theater in quite some time, but at least my Netflix queue has many options.
Butter is a quirky movie about competitive butter sculpting. Bob (Ty Burrell) is Iowa's reigning champ in the art. He is asked to step down to give others a chance, but his wife Laura (Jennifer Garner) will have none of it. She was hoping that his fame would someday land them in the governor's mansion...so, she decides to enter to continue the family dominance. Her fellow competitors include a 10-year-old orphan, a hooker and one of Bob's biggest fans. Yara Shahidi, Olivia Wilde, Rob Corddry, Ashley Green, Alicia Silverstone and Hugh Jackman also star. It was funny...and (let me say it again) quirky. I liked it.
Bill Murray plays FDR in Hyde Park on Hudson. Hyde Park is FDR's retreat away from Washington, and he spends as much of the summer of 1939 there. He invites his distant cousin Margaret (Laura Linney) to join him there and the two become lovers. Nevermind that his wife, mother and other mistress are also there. During this time in history, FDR invites the king and queen of England to visit, and the house becomes a blur of preparation. Olivia Williams, Olivia Colman, Samuel West and Blake Ritson also star. The movie is a comedy, but there are few laugh out loud scenes. It was cute, but definitely a renter.
With Skyfall, there have been twenty-three James Bond movies. I am not really a big fan, but I heard that this movie was good; so, I watched it. There's always a problem to solve, and Bond is the best person for the job. Of the few that I have seen, I think that Daniel Craig is the best James Bond. Also starring - Judi Dench, Ralph Fiennes and Javier Bardem. Eh...It was good.
MK out.
Do you remember that I told you about a project I had started and finished a couple of weeks ago? I took one skein of Berroco Vintage and made up a little baby sleep sack:
I've looked at many patterns for these, but they look like elongated knitted caps to me. I did do a little design feature, but other than that, it was pretty straight forward. The baby doll is Jeremy. I got him when I was pregnant with my real life baby doll twenty-two years ago.
I also finished the March 2013 Socks!
I am so thrilled, because I'm still working on April's, I've started May's and June is starting in a week. I hope to have the April socks done by next week and if you read the blog two days ago, you can see that I have a little ways to go.
Anyway, the March socks were made using that super luscious Timebomb by Gritty Knits. I used the Garter Rib pattern in Charlene Schurch's book Sensational Knitted Socks.
So, yay! FOs!
MK out.
...and why I am not buying yarn this year.
At last count, I counted 32 finished pairs of socks that I've made for myself:
That number includes the three pairs of socks that I've made so far this year, but they are not pictured.
I made eleven pairs of socks in 2012, and eight of them are for me :
My intention is to make 12 pairs of socks this year. The fact remains that I have 50 skeins of sock yarn. I looked at the 112 entries - mostly comprised of single balls/skeins of yarn - currently in my Ravelry Stash. I deduced that over half of those entries were purchased in 2012.
I know my stash isn't big by some comparisons...I have a friend who reads this blog. I have not seen her stash personally, but from what I can gather, her stash is epic. It is LYS-stock-sized. I say "good for her!" I just can't do that though. I can't think for all the stuff.
So, that's why I am not buying yarn for a while.
MK out.
I know I promised that there would be FOs, but last Friday came and went...
To ease the sting a little, I can show you the current front burner WIPs. First, I am working on the April socks (because the March socks did get finished):
I don't have my knitting books at my disposal these days; so, I had to search the web for help. I had found one youtube video that had a wrapless short row heel demo. I tried it and didn't really like it. Not that it isn't a good technique, but that I just couldn't execute it to my exacting standards. I ripped back and looked for a wrapped short row heel demo and found a good one. There's also a part two, which explains how to pick up and knit those wraps quite well.
Since it seems that I cannot get enough of the Baby Blizzard pattern, I started another one:
I am making the largest size in order to use up this cotton yarn. I think I am going to leave off the design element or come up with something else on my own...just to change it up a little.
MK out.
Here we go:
There are several fine actors in Seven Psychopaths - Colin Farrell, Christopher Walken, Woody Harrelson and Sam Rockwell, just to name a few - and it is a bit quirky. Marty(Farrell) is a struggling writer who has an idea for a screenplay that he just can't get down on paper. Billy (Rockwell) really wants to help his friend, but he is involved in a business with Hans (Walken) whereby they kidnap dogs and then bring them back to their owners for the rewards. Things get rough when Billy kidnaps a mobster's (Harrelson) dog. It's funny, but there's violence too. I liked it.
Snow White and the Huntsman is not your sweet, little, adorable-character-containing movie. Charlize Theron plays the evil, stepmother queen who is determined to be the most beautiful in the kingdom. Eating Snow White's heart would make her immortal. She hires The Huntsman (Chris Hemsworth) to kill Snow White (Kristen Stewart), but he instead joins forces with Snow White to rid the kingdom of evil. It was alright.
That's all for today.
MK out.
I have started and finished a little project I will show on Friday...and I've been working on the March socks because they are close to completion:
I might be able to finish them tomorrow.
MK out.
Carole asks us to list our Ten Favorite TV Moms. I haven't participated in a while, but I was feeling it today; so, here goes...
1. Sophia Petrillo from The Golden Girls - She reminds me of my mom.
2. Edith Bunker from All in the Family - She is ditzy, but has a wonderful heart.
3. Shirley Partridge from The Partridge Family - She is cool and a great role model for working moms.
4. Carol Brady from The Brady Bunch - I'm so jealous that she has an Alice.
5. Meredith Grey from Grey's Anatomy - She is a good mother even though she doesn't really feel it yet.
6. Ann Romano from One Day At a Time - I like her for being a strong role model - plus, I was quite the women's libber back then.
7. Evelyn Harper from Two and a Half Men - She says the stuff to and about her boys out loud that other mothers are thinking.
8. Nora Walker from Brothers and Sisters - She's a meddler, but she allows her kids to be who they are.
9. Claire Huxtable from The Cosby Show - She is another good role model...and I admire the calm way she parents.
10. Debra Barone on Everybody Loves Raymond - She is just so fer realz.
Who do you like?
MK out.
Since our last Wednesday visit, I have not even touched the cardi. Maybe, because the weather is getting nicer and I won't be wearing it anytime soon? I do need to finish it though, so it will be ready to wear when the time comes...
I have been working on the March socks:
They were much further along yesterday...until I noticed that I had not centered the pattern on the instep stitches. After I had knit the entire heel flap, picked up the gusset stitches and was on down the road a bit - I realized my mistake when there were four knit stitches together on one side and what appeared to be the garter rib pattern intact on the other.
I thought long and hard...I really did. I tried to talk myself into believing that it wasn't that noticeable and socks go into shoes; so, really - Who would know?
Well, I would know, and it was bothering me more and more. I kept knitting, but I was getting a bit more twitchy with each stitch.
Finally, I ripped out the needles and frogged all the way back to where I needed to start the heel flap. I rearranged the two stitches on each sock and started the heel flap again.
I have worked some on the April socks too:
I am working the short-row heel on the first one. I decided to make them one at a time. I haven't done that in a while, and I thought it would be kind of fun for a change...since, it would be easy to keep track of where I am and all. I like the way they are turning out so far.
So - that's me...how about you?
MK out.
I finished this little cardi almost a week ago (last Saturday) - all except for sewing on the buttons:
I started the button sewing earlier today, but snapped a picture anyway for this post. I figured I'd better go ahead and show it in its not-all-the-way-finished state, or it would be another week to FO Friday...
I had one ball left after I made my Lacy Summer Top a couple of years ago. It was just enough to make the smallest size.
It looks even smaller next to the bigger one I made in January.
Well, that's all folks!
MK out.
