I Need H.E.L.P!!!!

Remember this? I finished it and it now looks like this.

It was very pretty when it was finished but it was H. U. G. E!!! So, I got out my wool winder and undid all that knitting and am now working on Soleil from Knitty with that yarn. I swatched, I measured me, I swatched again to be sure, measured me again to be sure and cast on yesterday. I marked the pattern at intervals to check my gauge. I was right on with the size 6 needles the pattern suggested in my swatch but guess what? 6 inches into it, I measure and I'm not getting 22 stitches to 4" like in my swatch, I'm getting 26 stitches in 4". So, went to the other 1/2 of the other shell (only ripped out the front, it's such a sad job) and checked the gauge, which I was also dead on with my swatch, and it measure 29 sts. to 4"(that one was supposed to be 25 sts to 4"). Okay, now I know I go up a size in needles, but dang, it seems that going up too much more than a 6 is going to make this awfully loose and see thruey, no? My gauge must really change dramatically when I get going on something. I was even trying to tighten it up while working on Soleil. So, any suggestions? HELP! I had this same problem with a vest I wanted to make in Folk Vests and never could get gauge, so never made it. Does this mean I'm destined to forever make scarves and stoles/shawls? I want sweaters dangit, and sweaters that fit! Now I know why nothing ever fits me. I do a gauge swatch (which I hate doing) and it's right on, then I knit it, never to check gauge again (first mistake I see now) and the things are huge! Does anyone that reads this blog (I know, there's not too many) have this problem? Is there anyone out there who can help me figure this out? PALEASE!

Okay, on to better things. I got yarn in the mail today! Oh, how I love getting yarn in the mail (even though it seems it's not going to become a sweater or a vest!). I got this.
It's KnitPicks Main Line. The bottom color is Butter Pecan (sounds edible, doesn't it?), the middle is Cocoa and the top is Silver Sage. Wow, it's nice, feels nice and the colors are really pretty. This will go into my stash until I figure out what to make with it, or till I figure out my gauge problem. ;o( I was hoping to make a vest with the Butter Pecan and either a vest or short sleeved sweater with the Cocoa. Time will tell I suppose.
This is the yarn I got today from Rebekah for doing the Yarn Focus Challenge. The green on the bottom is Wild Foote in Desert Grass; the purple is KnitPicks Shadow in Grape Jelly and the red on top is (besides gorgeous!) Speed Demon Handpainted Sock Yarn. Thank you so much Rebekah! I love it all. Maybe one of these days I'll get a pair of socks done and then I can try all of these. I'm not too good at doing socks, but I'm trying.
Here is Icarus, all done, blocked and really a gorgeous shawl. I have thought of throwing it over my shoulders a few times when a cloud goes over and the house gets a little cooler from the air conditioning, but, the cloud doesn't last long enough. I knit this with Elann's Peruvian Wool, fingering weight I think. It was a fun knit and fast and easy enough for a new lace knitter to try. I forget how many balls I used but I think around 10. I ran out of yarn (needed 11 or 12 balls) and skipped the lace edging but you'd never know looking at it that the edging was missing. It came out just great.

The Baby Girl is packing and has one more day to get it all together. She moves into her new dorm room on Wednesday morning. I'm excited for her but I'm so sad! She's been a joy for 18 years and now is going off into the big, wide world. She'll do well, she's tough and determined, but dang, this Mommy is going to miss her Baby!
BTB is taking a BIG test tomorrow to be a Commercial Gen. Contractor. He's been studying for weeks and we'll all be relieved when it's over with. He'll do well, but these tests are written to trip you up so send good vibes this way tomorrow! With all this (and lots more I can't discuss on here) going on, it's not wonder I get lost in my knitting.
Thanks for all the comments on my last post. Someday I'm going to figure out how to thank you some other way. I love getting comments, it's the highlight of my blogging.
Happy Knitting till next time!

Saturday Sky

To rain or not to rain!
It wants to rain, it has to rain, we need rain really, really bad, but, it won't rain! These clouds were moving in about 1/2 hour ago, now we're having real strong wind gusts, but, do you think it'll rain? Nope, we haven't had rain in so long that my hydrangia's are wilted, brown and gonna die if they don't get some rain real soon! Everything is wilted, hot, sweaty, burnt; oops, wait, BTB says it's raining in the front yard. I do believe it may be raining in the back yard too. Nope, that was it, it rained long enough for me to type that, now it's stopped. Please send a little (just a little now) rain to South East Georgia, please!
It's not bothering this guy though. BTB went out today and cut a branch from the pecan tree that hangs over our big bird feeder. The squirrels would jump from the branch to it and eat all the sunflower seeds. Did it stop them? Nope. Can't get rain and can't stop the squirrels from piggin' out on the bird seed.


Knitting fodder tomorrow.

Happy Knitting!

I Love Lace!

I finished it!













Blocking















Leftover yarn!

I didn't have enough yarn (dah) to do the 4 row edging and after thinking it over for a few days I decided that it would be better to just bind off and not try to find some more yarn. The last pattern repeat has enough scoop to it that it looks edged anyway. I love it. It's soft and plenty big enough to cover the whole length of my arms for the cold weather in This Old House.

I've been working like a madman (woman) on my CeCe sweater to try to get that done but it seems to not want to end. Again, I'm worried about yarn amounts. Jeesh, what a pain! I had plenty when I started so I'm hoping I have a ball or two stuck somewhere around here. It's going to take a few more days to get it finished.

I did finally start my Mystery Stole 2 stole but it's slow going cause I'm trying to get these other projects done. I'm not too good at having bunches of stuff going on.

I didn't forget Sandy's Saturday Sky yesterday but we were under severe thunderstorm warning all afternoon and into the evening so I didn't want to turn on the computer. Never even had a drop! My plants are all wilting and even the hydrangea's that have been here longer than I have are drying up and turning brown. We need rain, bad! We're 10 1/2 inches below normal and that's not good. And it's in the high 90's every day and that's not good either.

I've been yarn shopping! It's a good thing the Yarn Focus Challenge ended or I'd be in big trouble. I'll post about that in a few days. I have lots to show.

I can't believe this, but my neice turned 20 years old today! How am I possibly old enough to have a 20 year old neice? Well, I guess I am, somehow. Even though I don't think she ever reads the Scrappy Knitter I'm going to wish her a big Happy Birthday. So, Jen, Happy 20th Birthday! Love ya!

Happy Knitting!

Today is My Day!

I'm on the last portion of the 1/2 century mark. Woe is me.

Icarus is done except the border. One problem, I am out of yarn. I have just enough to bind off. What to do? Any suggestions? I went to Elann's website last night but they're out of it in my color. 4 rows short of being done and all out of yarn. That STINKS! It's Peruvian Baby Cashmere if anyone has any, color red. But, what would happen if I just bind off? Mess it up?

BTB is taking me out for the day and he said I had to be ready at 8:45 to leave the house. So, this birthday girl needs to get in the shower and get out the door.

Have a great day, on me!

Happy Knitting!

A Period Of Instruction/To Gain Understanding by Experience

Do you know what words those are the definition of? Lesson Learned! I've learned 2 very valuable lessons in the past 2 days. Yup, you're going to hear what they are cause I'm gonna tell ya.

My first lesson was learned while on vacation last week. While camping I sat outside every morning at 7:30 a.m. and knit! Just knit. Me and the yarn and the needles and the pattern for my Icarus shawl. Know what? I got A L O T done! No computer, no TV, nothing but me and the above. So, know what I learned? I spend WAY too much time on the computer every day reading blogs, surfing the web and reading e-mail. So, know what the lesson was? No more than an hour each morning and no more than an hour each evening reading blogs. I love reading blogs. Like I've said before, I live a long way from anything and don't have a lot of friends (which isn't me wining, just explaining) and the computer and the blogs are my way of belonging to something out there in this big world. But, I haven't finished one single project in forever and I realized while camping that it's because of the computer. I got 2 pattern charts done on that shawl in just 4 days of knitting for a few hours in the morning. I didn't work on it in the evening, except one night, and got further on it than I have on anything else I've been knitting, or trying to knit. So, I'm cutting back on my blog reading and my computer time. Don't worry, I'm only cutting out the ones that really aren't for me anyway, not all of them. Those of you that read this blog will stay on my list, you're my cyber knitting group since I don't have one close by.

My second lesson learned? This is a much bigger, badder one! If you have a computer, if you keep pictures or patterns or information on that computer that you can't live without, BACK IT UP!!!!!! I've been told that umpteen times but always thought, "okay, I'll do it, I'll do it" and just never got around to doing it. Bought a box of CD's and was "going to do it." Well, the computer guy came yesterday and my hard drive on the PC is now dead, gone, gone with all the information I've kept on it forever. All my pictures, all my knitting patterns, all BTB business quotes, invoices, pictures of the houses in progress, EVERYTHING ON THE DAMN COMPUTER! The guy felt really bad cause he thought he'd probably be able to get something off it, but it was totally, 100% dead! All the pictures of the Baby Girl and her band activities during high school, all the pictures of my grandkids, the Baby Boy and his moves, the pug growing up, everything! Gone! I'm sick, I'm sad, I'm really, really mad at myself for not backing up and I'm really, really tired of computers! So, less blogging for me, less reading of blogs and no more saving everything to a hard drive. I'm spending my entire weekend burning CD's and backing up the computers. Dell sent a guy to put in a new hard drive, so it's working, but what good is it without all MY stuff in there? I've got some pictures on my laptop, which is going to BTB since I have the new laptop, so all that is getting copied to disk and I WILL NEVER DEPEND ON THE COMPUTER AGAIN!
Here is last Saturdays Sky for Sandy. It's taken inside the butterfly house at Callaway Garden in Pine Mountain, Georgia. It was a great weekend, had a blast seeing the gardens and then we went to Warm Springs to see F. D. Roosevelts Little White House and the Warm Springs where he went to help with his Polio. It was great seeing our Baby Boy, too. I miss that kid around here. He, BTB and the Baby Girl went skeet shooting at the Callaway Gun Club. The Baby Girl never used a gun in her life (well, maybe a BB gun) and got 12 out of 16 skeets! Not bad for a first timer. Father and Son did very well too, but they did one of the courses, so it was a little tougher. It was fun watching them, 2 grown men playing together. Do you call that playing? I do! They had a blast. Me? I kept score, took pictures and spent the rest of the weekend working on Icarus. I'm starting the last pattern chart tonight.

I'll be posting once a week, probably on Friday night or over the weekend, but I can't spend so much time doing this, it's cutting into my knitting time. I'm going to finish something soon, or go nuts trying. I'll be reading your blogs, popping in with my comments and enjoying what you're all doing every day, just won't spend half my morning reading them all. Can't have a knitting blog without getting some knitting done!

Happy Knitting!

Away, Away, Away down South in Dixie

Not sure why that title popped into my head. Anyway, the Scrappy Knitter is outta here. Have a great weekend and Happy Knitting! Regularly scheduled programming will resume on Wednesday.

Mystery Stole Along 2006

I decided this morning to join the Mystery Stole Along since I missed the Amazing Lace KAL due to life getting in the way.
I have to go look thru my stash to see what yarn I want to use. I have lots of lace weight yarn in that closet!

Tomorrow morning we're leaving for a much needed vacation so I'll take it with me and work on it. It's too hot to work on the Log Cabin Quilt - oops, blanket, so that'll have to stay home. I'll take my Icarus shawl too, cause that's super easy. We're heading to the cool mountains of Georgia and spending 5 days camping out in the fresh air (I have a camper, I don't do tents) so I'll catch up with everyone's blogs when I return.

Happy Knitting!

Building a Log Cabin

Yes, I still remember how to knit. I've seen alot of people around blogland are trying out the Log Cabin Blanket so I decided to try it too. I love it! This thingis addicting. BTB bought me the whole color palette of Knit Picks Wool of the Andes for Christmas and it just jumped out of the knitting closet to become one. This is the best knitting for in the morning when I'm reading blogs - no counting, nothing but knit, knit, knit. But, by the time you think you've had enough of garter stitch, you switch colors, then you can't wait to see how that color looks up against all the other colors. I'm going to do a strip in each of the Wool of the Andes colors, then I'll start over again with the first one (blue in this picture - can't use red more than once in a real log cabin blanket/quilt) until I run out of yarn. I have one small problem though. The Baby Girl spotted it a few days ago and fell in love with it and said "Mom, please make it for me, it'll look great in my dorm room." Okay, that's kind of nice, but, then BTB said "Babe, why don't you make that for me and we'll keep it on our bed for when you and the pug want to take a nap in the afternoon? I love that blanket." Well, it's wool, needs special treatment and really doesn't belong in a dorm room where someone might forget it's hand wash only and throw it in the washer/dryer, but, how do I tell her I'll make her another one when this one's finished? Imagine that! My family is actually fighting over something I am making. That's just awesome!

The Pug had a great 3rd birthday and the Baby Girl had a wonderful bunch of friends over to celebrate her 18th Birthday. Thanks for all the birthday wishes.

Here's Libby and her new birthday toy. A red, white and blue pig from my Oldest Daughter and my 2 granddaughters and my grandson. Libby's favorite kids came and brought her this. She was one happy pug.
I finally got a decent picture of her standing. She does stand once in awhile.
Happy Knitting!

Happy Birthday USA & Liberty

Today is America's birthday, but, it's Liberty's birthday too. She is 3 years old today. Happy Birthday Liberty!

Knitting content tomorrow. Have an 18 year olds birthday party and a 3 year olds birthday party to go get ready for. I am knitting, really.

Happy 4th of July to all and Happy Knitting!

Happy 18th Birthday Alexandria Elizebeth

The Baby Girl turns 18 today! She grew up way to fast. Started out at 7 pounds and tiny, tiny, and now she's a beautiful 18 year old. Do I dare say woman? Nah, I think I'll save that for 21...I'm not ready for my Baby to be a woman yet (although I also think that's tough, huh?)

She has been such a great daughter, always happy, talented, smart, fun to be with! She was born 11 years after we had her sister and 8 years after we had her brother and was such a joy to all of us. Her sister says she was her "practice baby" and her brother had a shadow from the day we brought her home from the hospital. He loved to read to her, so maybe that's what made her so smart. She plays the clarinet proficiently, oboe, saxaphone and drums, has a beautiful singing voice and is just a great kid. Seeing her grow up and get ready to go off to college is meloncoly; we raised her to be ready for this but we're not sure if we're ready for this! Happy Birthday Baby Girl. You were the BEST mistake we ever made! :o)

Sandy's Saturday Sky

I plant morning glory seed at the base of our Martin pole every year and this is what it does. So, here's my Saturday morning sky from S.E. Georgia, complete with flowersSplash with the kids-we had a blast but this Maamaa is some sore this morning!

Have a wonderful, safe 4th of July weekend. We're all going to see the fireworks tonight and then the rest of the weekend is for knitting, relaxing and bobbing in the pool.

Happy Knitting!