Monday, February 27, 2006

Closing Ceremonies

The Closing Ceremonies of the Olympics are now complete. Unfortunately, my UFOlympics project is not. I really underestimated how long it takes to do these ladybugs and the 35 rows between them! However, I do have 8 out of the 18 complete now. It is still looking very cute. My attenae look odd on some of them, but that will straighten out after it's been washed. I'm going to keep on knitting and maybe, just maybe, I can get this project done during March.
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What I did finish during the Olympics was the Anubis cross-stitch that I was doing for my other sister's birthday. A birthday that was delayed because everybody here was sick (and several still are 14 days later!).
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Design by Julie Hasler. Stitched on 18 ct ivory Aida using DMC floss.

Here is Thoth and Anubis with the frames that they will be installed into. I was really happy to find these so quickly and inexpensively. These designs are by Julie Hasler.
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Sunday, February 26, 2006

Steered Off Course

I'm way behind on ladybugs, so clearly won't be finishing before the end of the Olympics. However, just like the cross country skiers, I'm just going to keep going! I have two panels to go. I am happy to report that I finally was able to follow the relay skating by the 30th lap. Really confusing before that, but I put down my knitting and could finally follow it. Oh, and happy cheers for the Curling Team (they come from MN)! I still don't understand curling as a sport, but it is a whole lot more interesting to watch than golf!

On the plus side, I did finish Anubis and even found frames for the pair. I will add photos of my completions tomorrow.

Finally, I should mention that although I combined my craft blogs, I do have a separate one for recipes. I started it mostly because MSN offered the space and I wanted to try their product. Here's the link:
http://spaces.msn.com/prettymuchyummy/

Tuesday, February 21, 2006

UFOlympics Slowdown

I finished the first panel on the Ladybug afghan! I started the next one, but decided, instead, to work on Anubis and get him done so that I can buy frames for the pair this week. This was, after all, a birthday present. So, I worked until Midnight and am about 75% done. I hope to finish tonight. Here's my progress. I should have taken photo before the sun disappeared. That eliminates this moire stuff.
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Sunday, February 19, 2006

Getting Through The Qualifying Rounds

Fellow UFOlympians! We have now completed Day 8 of the games and I am happy to report my stalled progerss is moving forward again. Much to my astonishment, I found the missing Cherry Red yarn and was able to finally finish the last ladybug on the first panel. I still have another 15 or 20 rows of white to finish off the panel. Today, I get to go right to a ladybug as I had already knit the beginning of the next panel. I'm having trouble getting the darn knitting not to roll, but here's the panel. In the center is the beginning of the next panel. Where are the red panels, you might ask? I've got all of those as well! Safely in a box next to my knitting chair. This cold is still dogging me, but I just continue to do what I can. My concern is that I still have 12 ladybugs to get through. It took 8 days to finish 4. Hmmm....
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Anubis is also coming along well. He is more than 60% done. I got an awful lot done on him yesterday (before I found the red yarn) including all the backstitching and the symbols on the side. I figured out yesterday that the Aida is photographing the way it is due to a fluorescent fixture directly above. Why the lines of Aida are distorted today is a mystery as it is straight in the frame.
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Thursday, February 16, 2006

Olympic Crash and Singe

Just like the athletes, some of us skid off the course and crash while trying to persevere through illness. It finally caught up with me. In the course of watching and knitting with this cold, I dropped one of my needles. Oops. While trying to find it without falling over, it fell out between the cushions of the rocker recliner underneath and look what happened.
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This is now a knitting needle that reminds me that I was going to use circulars in the first place just because dropping needles irritate me. However, I in a mind all my own, bought a bunch of knitting needles at a garage sale and was able to rescue the day using another size 7. What I can't figure out is why I have any straight needles anyway? Hmmm... In any case, I was able to continue knitting with a spare. I am on my last ladybug for this first panel. Then, woe and behold, I realized I am nearly out of red yarn in my bobbins! Alas, no red yarn in my bag. Hmmm... no red yarn anywhere. I realized that I must have included it the bag of scrap yarn that I gave to my Aunt to bring to her elementary school for art projects two weeks ago. Gak!

This is still a saveable project.
Number one: I have just enough red yarn to finish this panel.
Number two: Red Heart is pretty good about matching colors .
Number three: Even if it doesn't match perfectly, or I can't get cherry red, it's not a problem as ladybugs are different shades also.

I emailed my aunt (rhymes with haunt in these parts) in the hopes that she forgot it at home. In either case, I will just have to work on the white until I get something on Saturday. I'm not even going to my Thimbleberries group tonight as I just feel crummy.

[update: Did not have enough yarn to finish the final ladybug on the panel. Took off the needles temporarily and am starting on the next panel. I can work on that until I reach the first ladybug. Then I'll be working on Anubis until I can get to the yarn store (too dizzy from this cold to drive!).]

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

Happy Valentine's Day

Yes, Happy Valentine's Day-- even to you cynics who just can't get around holidays they don't care for. I would say to them - lighten up! Find some joy in the day--do something special for someone else even if you don't have a spouse or Significant Other. In honor of the day, I bought myself some very expensive chocolates. Not many, but a few. Yum! Also bought Mom and Dad a box of sugar-free truffles. Mom loves truffles and turtles and Dad's diabetic, so that seemed a good present. My sister made little flower bundt cakes. Yes, Bundt now makes a flower mold and it looks like it works perfectly. I will try to take some photos of the little roses.

I didn't watch much Olympics yesterday (had to watch 24 and also was cooking), but did get a fair amount of knitting done anyway. I'm about 1/8 through another ladybug. Unfortunately, now that I have a cold and sneezing and coughing, it's taking a little longer. Made a huge pot of chicken soup today, so if nothing else, I can eat that (along with the little rose bundt cakes). The bad news is that everybody is sick. The good news, is because everybody is sick, my sister's birthday celebration will be delayed until next week, so I still have a chance to get old Anubis done in time!

Monday, February 13, 2006

Ladybugs Are Multiplying!

My UFOlympic knitting project is coming along. I have finished two ladybugs since the start of the Olympics. I'm not quite there yet, but the colorwork is getting easier as I figure out what I'm doing. I applied some of the suggestions I received at Knitters Review and it does help. The instructions say to carry all the colors, but that just wasn't working for me. I am using separate skeins of white for each side of the ladybug, a bobbin of black for the center of the ladybug, long, cut yarns for each of the black spots and one large bobbin for the red. Now that I know about how much yarn each color of the ladybug requires, I'll be using a lot less in the bobbins. Here's my ladybug panel so far (I need 3 panels). Each panel has 6 ladybugs. Note to self-set the flash to on when taking photos of white things. As for the Olympics, this is the first time I've watched Snowboarding and WOW is that neat!
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Also, Anubis is coming along. Now that I've finished the large upper torso, the rest should go along more quickly. Unfortunately, I am being hampered by a cold in all of this! I just can't cross-stich very well when I'm sneezing and coughing. It's interesting that in the photo, a moire design appears in the Aida. It's not actually there, but just in the photo. Strange. I think if I take it out of the Snapframe, that effect would probably go away.
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Saturday, February 11, 2006

UFOlympics

The opening ceremonies for the Winter Olympics started off weird (well, to me they were), but the second half was so cool! My favorite scenes were the 'snowflake people' who ended their stint forming a dove and the lighting of the torch. I didn't get a lot of knitting done during the ceremonies except during commercials, but finished 3/4 of one of the ladybugs. I'm starting to get the hang of this switching colors, but it is very different going back and forth instead of in-the-round. Struggled (again) the next day while watching Luge, skating and speed skating and FINALLY finished a ladybug. I kept making mistakes and had to rip back. I've been finishing up the white section so that I can begin another ladybug during my next viewing. A local Minnesotan is up to win a medal in the Luge. Cool!

I also did a little more of Anubis. I might actually get this done before the 16th, but please don't hold your breath!

Thursday, February 09, 2006

Fabric Addiction and Other Stuff

It started innocently. I stopped at the yarn store to return my unused yarn (wasn't sure how much I needed for tying the quilt). Two doors down is the quilt shop. "I should get that extra panel for the Thimbleberries Club quilt," I said to myself. Over $100 later (that was with my additional 10% off), I left with their new BOM for the year, including the finishing kit and my panel AND a fabric pack for my bunnies. I bought the bunnies book when the shop was still in Anoka (1 1/2 years ago?) and now finally have the fabric to do it! My fabric choices are romantic pinks rather than Depression Era Repros (as much as I like them, I would be doomed to start another collection). I have a tendency to choose the same fabrics and I'm trying to break out of my box.
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Darcy Ashton is my latest book addiction. I also have Claire's Cats and Aquatic Creatures. She just has so many cute poses and of course, it's all easy to do applique.

Tonight I have to finish getting everything ready for the Knitting UFOlympics. I have my yarn and chart, but the pattern has gone awry, so the search is on. Not too critical as I already know how to use the chart.

Tuesday, February 07, 2006

Anubis and UFOlympics

I've been working again on Anubis, the cross-stitch Egyptian set that I've been doing for my sister (the one who doesn't read this blog). Thoth, of course, was finished and this is the companion piece. I'm doing it on 18 ct Aida. Easy and fast to do. A lot of experienced cross-stitchers forsake Aida once they try new and finer fibers. I find that you simply have to look more carefully for a more sophisticated design that works with it. Aida is perfect for travel as it can easily be done in most motel rooms. If I could actually finish by a deadline, this should be done before Feb. 16 (her birthday), but we all know my ability to meet one of those!
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I joined the UFOlympics knitting group (see button on side panel) with the plan to finally finish the Ladybug Afghan! All the red panels are done, but the ladybugs were so complicated for me, having never worked with color like this before, that I keep putting it off. So, during the Olympics, that will be my major project (in between trying to finish Anubis). Once I finish the project, I will be putting up a link to the instructions. I have had quite a few requests for it and Family Circle gave me permission to do that.
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Saturday, February 04, 2006

Sunshine, Where Have You Been?

We actually have a sunny day again! Hope this lasts. I was going to take a photo of the finished quilt, but my batteries for the digital camera are toast (again). I bought Everyready rechargeables and the darn things just don't seem to hold a charge. Is this the brand or just something wrong with the batteries? I don't know. I'm going to buy more today, but it is darn frustrating!

I've been working on and off on the Banff sweater as well as the long pieces for the Sister's Choice quilt. All these cloudy days seem to make me so darn tired! Fortunately, I have been getting some scrapbooking done, so at least something is getting done.

Had fun going fabric shopping with my sister (and I didn't buy a thing!) yesterday. She was down for my Mom's birthday (Happy 72nd birthday Mom!). Sis bought fabric to make dresses for a couple of her step-grandchildren. They should look pretty cute in those. Nope, she is not a quilter-she's a costume/doll dress maker.