Felt Like Knitting

To the pond I go...

...instead of typing up a victory post.  :)  The process of ripping out just the cables then reknitting them in stockinette was going pretty well.  The stitches weren't as even as I'd like, but I figured some water would help that.  But then I noticed I had missed a strand of yarn and had to tear some back again.  And then I noticed I had crossed some strands.  With all of that added together, I've decided to rip out the entire hood and reknit it.  I'll be happier in the long run.  And the knitting should go faster this time since I have two less cables to knit.  :)

I have cake pictures to show you, but I'm too lazy to upload them right now.  Plus I have a hood to frog...

And I thought scarves were bad...

The hood on my CPH hoodie doesn't seem to get any longer.  7 inches...9 inches...10 inches...how can it not be 11.5 inches yet?!  After it gets there, I get to decrease for a while.  Eventually I'll get to the ribbed band.  I've been wearing the hoodie around the house while I'm not knitting on it.  You can imagine how stylish I look with two balls of Malabrigo hanging off of me.  (I tried to take a WIP photo today, but there wasn't enough light.  That may have been due to me trying to use the wood floors as a background.  Right now, they are the only area uncluttered enough to use for a picture.)

I have a question for all you bakers out there.  E and I bought some Wilton rolled fondant at Michael's today.  I just tasted it and it tastes odd to me.  Does it usually taste a little strange or could it be old?  Tomorrow I'll show pictures of E's creation.  Right now it's time for some cake tasting!

Edited:  Earlier tonight I wondered what I would do if I found a mis-crossed cable.  Would I try to fix it?  No, I'd probably wear it and hope nobody would notice.  But, I should have asked myself what I would do if I found 14 misplaced cables.  Sob...

When I starting knitting the hood, the directions said to follow chart A and C.  I just happened to also follow chart B, which is putting two extra cables up the center of the hood.  That is going to look funky where it meets the front - like a cable mohawk or something.  I just don't see how I can get around not fixing those cables.  Before I rip back, I'm going to rip out just the cables and try reknitting them.  Any other ideas?

Before and after

                            

The carpet is gone and the new floors are in and done.  We're allowed to walk lightly on them right now and we'll probably put the baseboards and our furniture back in place next weekend.  The house is still smelly, but it's better than it was a day ago.  I think the floors look nice and I'm looking forward to seeing how the rooms look all put back together.

I finished another dishcloth (Christmas present) while we were at the hotel last night.  But, what I really need to work on is my hoodie.  It's supposed to get cold tomorrow.  I can't decide whether to knit or to catch up on blog reading.  A lot of people have been writing!

A possible break in the blogging action

Well, tomorrow begins the hardwood floor project.  We've pulled up the carpet and pad in two rooms, even though we're hiring the installers to do that.  Our hope is that they'll have less to do and be more likely to finish the project on time.  I may end up taking a blog break while the project is going on.  I'm just not sure what to expect with the whole project.

I ended up frogging the Forest Canopy shawl.  My tinking was unsuccessful, so I yanked it all.  I never did change to the size 8 needles, so I may do that when I start knitting it again.  And this time I'll leave the lifelines in!

So many questions

Okay, I hope you all like to give advice.  'Cause I have several questions I need answered and I figure you know the answers.

When is a changed pattern considered a new pattern?  For example, if you have combined two different hat patterns, does that make it a new pattern?  Or does more have to be changed to make it "original?"

Do you think it's worth bothering with a copyright?  I'm not concerned about making money off a pattern or anything.  I just don't think it would be fair for a person to create something then have someone else (or a pattern company) claim it as their own.

How hard is the whole copyright thing?  I read a little about it last night.  It appears to me that something is automatically copyrighted when you write it down.  But you also can file your copyright.  So is it good enough just to say it's copyrighted or would you need it to be filed to be able to claim it's your design?

How do you know if someone else already has a pattern for the thing you've created?  Again, a hat example.  Remember my goal of creating my own hat pattern this year?  I designed this, but how do I know if someone else has a pattern for something like it?  I've done a few searches, but sometimes the names don't tell you what a hat looks like.  It would be impossible to look at each hat pattern online.

Want to see another FO?  That was an easy question.  Because you really don't have much choice unless you quickly click away from my blog.  :)  Here is Christmas present #1 for the year.  It's amazing how even one little dishcloth can make you feel like you've accomplished something! 

I know I had another question (not about copyrighting), but I can't think of it right now.  By the way, yesterday's tournament went well.  Our team scored 6th overall in robot performance (up from 8th last year).  We won't find out the overall scores, unfortunately.  Only one team moves on to the nationals and one of my daughter's schoolmates is on the winning team.  I was so proud of our team members.  When the champions were announced, our kids jumped up clapping and yelling for the other team even though they were disappointed for themselves.

Oh, I remember my last question!  A year or so ago, E's scouting group learned to knit.  They were supposed to knit squares for a blanket for a crisis pregnancy center.  One of the moms and I knit some squares, but it wasn't enough for a blanket.  I knit a couple more, but it's still not enough.  Someone told me I should throw them away and not worry about them.  I feel that I should at least ask the other mom since she went to the trouble to knit them.  What do you think?

Little House in the Suburbs

Last weekend we moved our furniture for the floor installation because we knew this weekend we would be busy with the robotics tournament.  I feel like we've been living in the Little House on the Prairie.  In our kitchen's eating area, we have two computers (one on an office desk), our kitchen table, the armoire with our media equipment, a coffee table, the couch, a chair and footstool, a washstand, and a bookcase.  Oh, and the dog crate and bed and some bins of school supplies.  This one room living has me thinking about outhouses and I am happy to have a bathroom.  :)  It's almost like living in a hotel room, but it's kind of refreshing not to have to be concerned with all the junk in the other rooms.  And junk won't be going back in when the floors are done!

I'm making progress on my hoodie!  I don't have the camera right now, but I'll try to post a picture tomorrow.  I have both sleeves set in and one side half seamed.  There is knitting to finish on the hood, then I'm on to the band.  Unfortunately, it looks like this sweater may fit my daughter better then it fits me.  But I'll still be able to fit into it.  At least one of us will get to wear it.

I'm trying to decide what knitting to take to the robotics tournament.  The sweater is a bit too big to be dragging around.  I'm debating between the following choices:

dishcloths (to count toward my goal of knitting one Christmas gift each month)

hats (to count toward my goal of knitting 50 charity hats and designing my own pattern)

a Red Scarf (wouldn't count toward my goals at all, but it's for a great cause)

I may just throw one of each into my backpack.  So many choices!

I hope you all have a terrific weekend.  Stay warm if you are in a cold spot!

What's your word?

As I mentioned a few days ago, we're getting hardwood floors put in and have had to move lots of furniture and belongings in preparation.  Now more than ever, I can see how my way of doing (or not doing) things affects my life and the lives of my family members.  (One example:  I found an unopened Mother's Day card from my dad and his wife.  I must have put it on the counter then piled things on top.  Soon the pile needed to be moved for company coming over and then I never got back to it.  You don't know how bad I felt when I saw that.)

Today's post over at This Guy Falls Down was just what I needed to read.  In 2006, he chose a word to live by for the year.  He's doing the same thing again this year and asked his readers what their words are.  I've decided my word is ACTION. 

I've chosen this word because inaction is really the root of most of my self-inflicted problems.  You don't know how many times I've meant to call someone, send a card, or do something and haven't acted on it.  Then later I regret it.  You haven't seen the stacks of lesson plan papers that need to be filed because "I'll do it later."  And so on...

So, ten minutes ago I decided that I will act in 2007.  It has already made a difference, believe it or not.  I made myself grade papers right away.  The grades are recorded, the papers are filed in students' folders, and I can move on to the next thing instead of having a pile of papers hanging over my head.  What a relief.  Now, if I can keep this up, I may have extra time to work on those knitting goals for 2007!

What's your word for the year?  I invite all of you to share here or on your blog.  And if you've never left a comment, please delurk and share your word!  :)

Onward

My first foray into sweater shoulder seaming (not counting the baby sweater from last year) went well, I guess.  If you stare at the seam, you might think it looks funny.  And if you look at the spot where the cables meet up, it doesn't match.  But all in all, it's okay.  Now I'm knitting the hood and I'm just happy to be there.

I am loving the Forest Canopy Shawl!  The pattern is easy to follow and it's fun to knit.  I was just thinking I'd stop putting in lifelines when I goofed somehow.  (Funny how that works, huh?)  I frogged back to the lifeline, but the mistake was before that.  And I already pulled out the previous lifeline.  So, I'm tinking back to try to discover my mistake.

Can you believe the month is almost half over already?  One of my knitting goals was to knit one Christmas present each month.  I started a dishcloth (Yes, that counts!), but haven't made much progress on it.  I'd better get moving!

Show and tell

And now for the personal journaling part of my blog, in which I document project completion.

S's scarf.  He's worn it quite a bit this week because it's become colder.  Made from Malabrigo and the Men's Cashmere Scarf pattern in Last Minute Knitted Gifts.  Size 8 Denise needles.

  Charity hat #1 of 50.  Made from yarn from a thrift store sweater (washed yarn, of course).  Size 6 circular needles and a hat pattern from Last Minute Knitted Gifts or maybe it was Weekend Knitting.  I'll look it up later.

  Central Park Hoodie blocking.  The fronts are almost dry and I will soon be able to seam and begin the hood.  I'm thrilled to be to this point and I can see a completed hoodie if I think hard enough.  I'm concerned that I didn't block properly, but it's too late now!  I'm not re-doing anything.  (The back seems kind of lifeless and flat, like I over-blocked it.  One of the fronts was a bit longer than the other.)

  Forest Canopy Shawl.  I bought this sock yarn last summer in Huntsville and I tried using it in a scarf, but didn't like the way it looked.  I want to knit this shawl for my mom to cheer her up from her surgery.  I like the way the yarn looks in it.  Lace knitting seems pretty fun right now!

I do have a concern with the amount of yarn, though.  The label lists 360 yards and the pattern calls for 350 yards.  That gives me only ten yards of breathing room.  I knit a little gauge swatch and "got gauge."  (Okay, I only knit about 8 rows before I measured.  I didn't take the swatch off the needles.  And I didn't wash it.)  To get the correct gauge, I'm using size 7 needles instead of size 8s.  Gauge information always confuses me a bit and I'm too distracted right now to have a good think.  Does the needle size affect the amount of yarn used?  Will I be using more yarn with size 7 needles than I would have on the 8s?  Should I be contemplating a trip to the yarn store for different yarn?

Knees, trees, and psycho pets

Knees, trees, and psycho pets is just another way to say "random things" since I used that title already.  :)

First, I want to thank you all for your prayers and nice thoughts for my mom.  Thankfully, she is doing better than she was.  The worst pain was with her back due to the position she was in for the surgery.  Plus the pain medication wasn't working.  The pain management doctor put her back on the medication she was using before the surgery and that's helping to ease her back pain.  And she was approved to stay for at least one week in the skilled care rehab part of the hospital.  That's a relief to everyone.  I let her know you were thinking of and praying for her and she really appreciates it.  And so do I!

Trees?  We got our Christmas tree taken down today.  That was also a relief!  I'm really glad we didn't put many decorations up because it hasn't been too bad taking them down.  Now we get to move all of our first floor furniture because we're getting hardwood floors put in.  The installation will happen in a couple of weeks, but we have to start working on moving our stuff now due to time conflicts later.  We've meant to do this for a while and our carpet really, really needs to be replaced.  But, like most other things, I've been procrastinating.  So, I asked my husband to be in charge of the project and things are moving along.  :)

Our pug, Phoebe, is being a psycho dog.  We're supposed to keep the bandage on her paw dry.  Since it's been raining, I've been putting a sandwich bag over her paw and securing it loosely with a rubber band.  Do you think that dog can go to the bathroom with that on?  No.  It is a major deal now.  She finally will go after a long time of standing there.  Tonight she refused to go at all and I'm afraid I'll be getting up at 3:00AM.  Any ideas on another way to keep her paw dry?

How would you like to hear about a little knitting?  I picked up my Central Park Hoodie again tonight!  I guess today was pretty productive knitting-wise because I also blocked S's scarf, finished one hat and started another, and finished the knitting part of the project I've been vaguely mentioning.  Pictures to come soon.

Enjoy your weekend!