What a difference 16 more inches makes!

I know: duh! Right? (OK, enough Valley Girl speak.)

In some contexts, I would say that 16 inches is just too much. WAY too much. Much less 16 more inches. Things like body parts and proportions come to mind. I mean, who needs 16 more inches of waistline to clothe? Or feet? Or height?

And some, um, other things? Well, that thought is just plain scary. And painful. And disturbing.

That said, there are times when an additional 16 inches is just what the doctor ordered.

Or what the doctor would order, if he/she were a knitter trying to use Magic Loop to knit a baby-aran-sweater sleeve on a 24-inch circ!

I know: duh! Right?

Yep, after doing the cuff on sleeve 1, using a really lovely and long size-2 circular, I discovered that my only size-3 circ was just 24 inches long. WAY too short to do both sleeves simultaneously, folks, seriously. So I abandoned that plan (pout!) and started sleeve 1, struggling with the needle at every half-round, developing ladders at turning points and getting frustrated. Still, I soldiered on, as I was at my mom’s house in a small LYS-free town and had no choice other than not knitting… and that was not an acceptable option. (I hadn’t taken another project or supplies with me, ’cause I didn’t want to give myself an “out”.)

I’d finished one repeat of the 16-row aran pattern before going to Mom’s on Tuesday, then Thursday morning (pay no attention to the lost Wednesday in there, kittens, no attention at all) I picked it up again and did another 8 rows, fighting that damned 24-inch needle all the while. I paused to look at the cable section and, in a moment of observation and insight, realized I’d frakked up about 10 rows earlier, when I didn’t cross the cables at all.

“How the hell did that happen?” I asked myself.

Myself, ever helpful, answered quickly (if a bit defensively), “Why are you asking me? I didn’t frak it up. You did. You could have consulted me earlier, when you sort of noticed that the cables didn’t look right, but NOOOOOO, not you. You just kept on knitting. In fact, I seem to remember that you didn’t even consult the pattern for that row (row 14), where it said, ’same as row 2,’ to make sure that you had a clue what row 2 entails. So don’t go blaming me when it goes in the crapper, missy!”

Sometimes I just hate myself.

Especially when I’m right.

I had sort of noticed the not-quite-rightness. I had neglected to read the pattern closely. And I had just kept knitting.

Sigh.

I didn’t want to tink back the cable sections for that many rows, not on the too-short needle, choosing instead to frog back to the early part of row 14, then knitting it correctly. I reknit back up through row 10 of the second repeat, then had to pack the van and come home.

The drive home was uneventful, even pleasant, and included a stop at my LYS, where I bought a 40-inch Addi Turbo Lace circular in US size 3. It was a 5-minute shopping trip, with no browsing or yarn-petting or dawdling. Just the needle, ma’am, thank you very much. I shoved the new needle in my yarn bag and left with a smile on my face and a bounce in my step.

Any other time, I’d have loved to stay and play, but it was already almost 2 pm and I had to go home and get to sleep, as I had to work at 11 the same night. Yes, last night.

And this morning at 4:30, while on my break, I knit one little row, from the old needle onto the new, and it was amazing!

I love my new needle and look forward to whipping out the rest of sleeve 1 in the next couple of days. Sleeve 2 should be a quick knit, then we’re off to the finishing! Ba-da-bing, ba-da-bang, right?

And, folks, don’t ever try to tell me that size doesn’t matter. For that matter, don’t try to tell it to any knitter… or seamstress… or crocheter… or carpenter… or …

As promised…

… here is a photo of the second blanket square:

See the star?

It’s looking rather rectangular ’cause I shot it from a low angle to put the pattern in sharper relief.

I think this is technically the “wrong” or non-public side.

Here it is flipped over, to show the “right” side:

See it now?

And yes, I did indeed knit on the baby aran’s sleeve last night (on my break at work), accomplishing a whole 6 rounds. I’m not knitting it flat, which is how it’s written, so the attaching part will be interesting, I think. After I get past the cuff, I’m going to start sleeve 2, then I’ll do the rest of the knitting simultaneously, both sleeves at the same time, using magic loop, of course. (Have I ever told you how much I love magic loop??)

Later, kittens. It’s scoop-the-litterboxes time, followed by wash-up-and-go-to-bed time.

FO #8: Another Noro square

No picture today, but the second square is finished and blocking/drying right now.

Same details as the other one (see FO #7), but from a different part of the same skein, so the color sequence is different.

Oh, and I put a star pattern on this one, rather than a heart.

My left wrist/forearm bothered me throughout the entire process, but honest compells me to confess that it hurt all night long at work, too, so the knitting is most definitely not responsible. Although the knitting probably didn’t help any either.

Oh, well. Sometimes you just have to play through the pain and get the job done, ya know?

I’ll take a photo when the square is dry and post it tomorrow or the next day. Promise.

Next up: back to the aran baby sweater sleeves. Time to get that sucker done.

My baby’s a teenager!

Today the BC12 became the BC13. Yes, my youngest is now a teenager and it’s a little surreal. I mean, he’s only one day older than he was yesterday, but there’s that teen thing now. And, believe me, he’s very, very aware of it. He’s such a sweetheart, with a quick wit and a heart of gold, but he is also a hormonal and temperamental artist who cannot wait to be all grown up. Like, yesterday.

Wish us all luck? Thanks.

His dad, his older bro and I took him to see the new Transformer movie at 12:05 a.m. today, in a packed theater (after 5 other screens sold out completely). He never stays up that late, not with permission any way, so it was a real treat for him. We got home around 3 a.m. and he crashed. He’ll sleep for another 3 hours or so, when I’ll wake him up and perhaps take him out for a birthday lunch and give him his birthday presents. Afterward, I’ll go to bed (gotta work tonight, after all) and his dad will pick him up for dinner and other celebratory stuff.

It’s a weird arrangement, but it works for us.

Join me in wishing my baby a happy birthday? He deserves all the joy in the world and I want only the best for him.

I love you, sweetie!

FO #7: Proof of knitting

Lookie what I made!

And you thought I'd forgotten how...

Ain’t it purdy, y’all?

Details: Noro Silk Garden in colorway 264. 8×8 inches. Moss-stitch border, center square in reverse stockinette with adapted heart pattern in stockinette (almost) centered in it.

Of course, if you turn it over, the center square is in stockinette and the heart is in reverse stockinette. Potato, potahto.

The square is for a blanket and I’ll be making another one ASAP, which in this case is probably tomorrow morning.

I started this one around 9 a.m. and finished it at 11:30, and only had to frog back an inch or so once, at the three-inch mark. I was doing the heart in a moss stitch and didn’t like the way it was coming out, ’cause you couldn’t make out the pattern at all that way, so I ripped back and did it as you see above. It looks much better now, trust me.

It was good to get back to knitting again.

I didn’t think anyone else had been paying much attention to my knitting hiatus, or had noticed it at all, but last night the BC13-minus-one-day’s dad suggested I might use part of my night off to, ahem, knit. He seemed to think it had been a long time and I might enjoy it for a change. (He was right.)

And this morning, the BC13-minus-one-day got up before I finished the square and did a noticeable doubletake, then said, with all the shock a teen is capable of, “You’re knitting!” Like it was this amazing, miraculous thing.

I answered, “Yeah, I’m knitting. Is that a problem?” and he said, “No, I’m glad you’re knitting again. You’ve got your hobby back.”

Ah, out of the mouths of no-longer-babes.

Anyway, the best thing about it is that my left hand didn’t hurt at all while I was knitting, even though it hurts other times, so maybe the act of knitting will be therapeutic. It’s a theory I plan to explore in the immediate future.

Yay!

Kitty pics

Wanna see some photos of the furry monster males at rest? I caught them in nap mode recently and snuck out of the room to get my camera, then took these pics. You will note that I am obviously not as good as sneaking as I would like, or these photos would show the kitties still dozing, rather than looking at me sleepily.

First, Smut, recumbent on a blue velour blankie:

"Seriously? You woke me up for this??"

And here’s Alfie, looking adorable and sweet against my dingy floral comforter (which now covers the recliner the kitties would otherwise claw to shreds):

"Turn off that flash, lady!"

Visiting male feline of honor Sammy sprawled indelicately on the futon and refused to be bothered by the attention:

"I'm only gonna peek with one eye."

By the time I got in position to photograph Puffer, she had decided she was just too bored by the whole thing and left the room. Or perhaps she was miffed because I didn’t start the shoot with her. Either way, no new picture of her highness.

—

In knitting “news,” I cast on some Noro Silk Garden yesterday, twice, and ripped it out both times. I’m working on a special something small (or two), but didn’t like the way it was coming out. Not to worry. It was good to knit again and I’m sure I’ll be back at it  over my days off (Monday and Tuesday).

Ciao, y’all, it’s time (10:20 a.m.) for this vampire to go to bed. Tonight’s a 12-hour stint at work and I’ve stayed up far too late the last two days reading, so sleep deprivation is kickin’ my keister. Hope your Sunday is everything you need it to be.

Bright, shiny object!

In a pathetic attempt to distract my usually too-astute readers from the lack of actual content on the blog these days, I present a photo. It’s a picture of the BC19 and the BC-almost-13 at Wild Adventures last week.

All strapped in and looking cool

Believe it or not, neither of them had ridden a “grown-up” rollercoaster before and, in fact, this one is not a full-sized ride. It’s a “family” coaster, designed to introduce kids to the experience and to let adults who are skittish about ‘coasters save face with their families/companions. Both boys professed to liking the ride and, in fact, all the menfolk rode it again later in the day. The BC12’s dad and I rode it right after the boys did (in the picture above) and found it to be a fun ride, although without the big thrills of a death-defying ‘coaster… which suited the dad just fine, but left me craving bigger, faster, loopier! Alas, I was alone in that and therefore had no riding companion when I found the monster coaster that afternoon. Ah, well, more fun for me, right?

Oh, and a bonus photo, this one of the BC12 and his dad as they were flying overhead on the “big” swing at the amusement park.

It's a bird, it's a plane...

I got that shot by sheer luck, pointing and hoping the autofocus would work and that it was, in fact, them in the swing at that time. Pretty cool picture, I think. And, yes, both of them were a bit afraid, they said, which probably explains why they’re holding onto their harnesses in an identical manner. Like father, like son, I guess.

I have a few more pictures I could share, but I think I’ll save them for the next time blog-fodder is thin. (Like tomorrow, probably?)

Enjoy!

Oh, no, I di’in’t!

Do anything yesterday besides sleep and listen to the thunder outside and sleep and rest and sleep and give the BC19 some cash to buy me “breakfast” and sleep while he went to fetch it, then finally get up and get ready for work.

No KIP. No K at all.

Just sleep, for the better part of 12 hours.

As my mom always says, “If you slept that long, you probably needed it.”

And when she’s right, she’s right.

As a result, working last night was a snap.

Let’s hope I get to sleep before noon today, so I can have another well-rested night of work tonight. And let’s hope it becomes the norm, so I don’t need 12 hours of sleep again any time soon.

No sunburn after all!**

Well, maybe a little bit on my nose, but not enough to be painful. (Thank the gods!)

We had a terrific day at the park. It’s small, compared to Disney or Busch Gardens, but big enough to fill a day and leave you pleasantly exhausted. And at only $25/day/ticket (online special), it was a bargain. And attendance is light on Monday-Thursday, so there’s very little time wasted waiting in line for the best rides. (This last bit of wisdom came straight from a season-pass-holder I met outside the arcade. She was a friendly southern woman who was in the mood to chat, which is a great combination when you want the scoop on local stuff.)

I did wind up with sore spots on my feet, where blisters were threatening to form, but those healed within 24 hours. And my chunky thighs got a little chafed from rubbing on the bottoms of my denim shorts, which had the audacity to get in the way while they were trying to rub on each other, of all things! But that cleared up by Thursday, too.

And the BC12 and the BC19 had a great time… without the squabbling that brothers seem to do as naturally as breathing. Maybe they’re growing up?

The BC12’s friend didn’t show up at the pick-up point, so it was just the family (strange as our particular family is). I think it was probably better that way.

Oh, and guess who’s the bravest in the family?

Moi, of course.

Well, at least in terms of daredevil rollercoaster-riding.

I was the only one with the metaphorical balls to ride the biggest, loopiest coaster in the park. (I have no idea what its name is, but it’s the orange one near the waterpark, so look for it if you go there.) In fact, I was the only one on it at all, no other riders that go-round, and in the front seat, naturally. Such a blast!

The BC12 said he could hear me laughing from his seat on the ground, 50 feet or so away from the ride. I’m not surprised, as I was whooping and laughing from the first swoop down to the braking at the finish.

Now, I’m no coaster connoisseur, but I do have a strong preference for the ones with the seats suspended from the rails, rather than perched atop them like train cars. I find the suspended coasters have a smoother ride, which my arthritis-developing neck surely appreciates. And I feel safer in them, so I can relax and enjoy the thrills without feeling like I’d better have a good time, ’cause it might be the last thing I ever do, ya know?

Anyhoo, it’s back to the work grind and with a vengeance.

I had to go in 4 hrs early Thursday night (my first night back) and work 12 hrs, then yesterday I had to attend (as in mandatory, no option to decline) 4 hrs of training that started at 5 p.m. Yep, right in the middle of my “night” and timed to start 6 hrs before my normal workshift. Which I still had to show up for. That means I left the training yesterday evening around 9, went home for an hour and a half, then had to go back and work at 11 p.m. My supervisors did let me leave 2 hrs early, and I’d found someone willing to come in and work for me, so I clocked out at 5 a.m. and am off until 11 p.m. tonight. (Whew!)

I’m pretty pooped right now and expect I’ll be asleep by 8 or so, which will put me awake much earlier than usual this evening… so I might just make it out to participate in WWKIP day after all! I’m not aware of any organized events in G’ville, so I’ll probably just head over the a bookstore and pull out the baby aran’s sleeve and see if I can’t get it back on track. Time’s flying and I have little knitting progress to show for it.

And guess what baby arrived earlier this week? Yep, the second baby for whom I’m making a sweater this summer. Thank goodness it won’t be sweater weather for several months (knock on wood)… and you can be sure I’m making the 12-month size (for both of them), so they’ll fit right into spring. With no real rush to finish them “before the babies outgrow them.” (Heh, heh, heh… see, there’s a method to my madness!)

** Thanks for asking, Linda! I forget sometimes that people actually read this thing and may expect a little continuity. Or at least an occasional new post.

What is that ball of fire in the sky?

Oh, it’s the sun! (Or it will be, in another hour or so, when it rises.)

Today, the BC19, BC12, BC12’s dad, BC12’s friend and I are going to spend the day (yes, when it’s light outside) at Wild Adventures, an amusement/water park and zoo near Valdosta, Ga. None of us has been before, so it really will be an adventure.

In preparation for this, I have shifted my sleep schedule to the point where I awoke for today at 4:45 a.m. I’m going to push it and stay awake as long as humanly possible, to facilitate shifting said sleep schedule back to “normal” by the time I have to be at work again: Thursday evening at 7.

This feat is only possible because I have 4 nights off in a row. That’s right, after two months of working an average of 50 hrs/wk, I am off for 4 consecutive nights. The last time I had more than 3 days off together was more than 18 months ago, so this is a BIG. DEAL.

And with the BC12 becoming the BC13 in 15 days (at which time I will have no extra days off), we’re celebrating his birthday early and in a manner he will love. (Knock on wood.)

We’ll do a cake, etc., for him on his b-day, to be sure, but this trip is the real party.

And while the boys tease me with nicknames like “the vampire” and joke that I’ll surely burst into flames when the afternoon sun touches my almost-glowing white skin, I’m hoping the worst that happens is a little sunburn and some sore feet. I’m pretty diligent about applying and reapplying sunscreen, but there’s always a spot you didn’t get covered completely (tips of the ears? tops of the toes? backs of the knees?), ya know?

And if someone else drives, which I may insist upon, I might even knit a row or two! Stranger things have happened.