My first hexipuff!

Knitting for me is all about seemingly unattainable challenges. However, I know that I am a great knitter, so the only thing that will stop me from finishing a project is simply me not wanting to do it anymore.

I decided to cast on for the Beekeeper's Quilt by Tiny Owls. This project is a major stashbuster when you use ends of random sock yarn. However, there is nothing random about me. I think in colors and patterns. I have decided that the colors chosen for this project will be pink, grey, blue, green, violet, and lavender. I created a color scheme using Adobe Illustrator so that I can figure out how many hexipuffs of each color is needed for my full sized bed. Ummmmmmmm a thousand sounds just about right based on my rough calculations. I will have to properly measure my finished hexipuff to be entirely sure.

I am using Knitpicks Stroll Tonal in Summer Blooms. Of course it's pink. I am knitting on size 4 Knitpicks wooden needles. I may try metal because it was a bit "sticky". But let me warm the needles up before I toss them aside. Hexipuff #2 might go a little smoother if I lotion my hands a bit. Lol! It can't hurt right?

I plan to add Hexipuff Madness Mondays as an element to this blog, so that I can regularly keep track of what's going on. Until then, here is a picture of my proposed design, my hexipuff unstuffed on the needles, and my first ever completed hexipuff.

Shhhhhh!

I have been knitting, but it's a surprise for one of my Knitty friends. Here is a sneak peak. I have 10 more days to complete it. It's part Cashmere and part silky wool. I know I'm going to want to keep it when it's all said and done. Why do I do this to myself?

Sidebar: My mom taught me to never give a gift that you wouldn't want to have for yourself.

Hangin' with Elle instead of Ella

I have had an extremely long week.  I have been working overtime, and a few things have been suffering.  Firstly, my Ella still has short sleeve caps.  I wanted to fix it today, but I had to attend to another more pressing matter.  My fingernails!!! EEEKKKK!  The polish was chipping off terribly, and the hangnail hooked onto the yarn when I knit.  So, it was about time that I gave them some TLC.

I went to Duane Reade's website and saw that Essie came out with a new line called Luxe Effects. All of the colors have a pop of shimmer or glitter, and can be used with other polishes to make really pretty effects. I saw that they paired a pearlescent shimmer polish with a white base coat.   So, here is my take on it. 

I used O.P.I.'s "A-ha Moment" to paint the tips of my nails. 

Then I used 2 coats of "Elle's Pearls by OPI" as the main color.

After that, I applied Essie's "Shine of the Times" over each nail, for extra shimmer.

Here is the complete look.  I love it.   

French Luxe Bling

Here is a closer look at the Luxe effect.

Don't worry.  Tomorrow, there will be knitting.  I just received some new yarn for a totally new project.  I will tell you all about it soon.  And yes, of course there's PINK! 

Sleeve Cap Mishap

I worked fervently last night to finish the sleeve caps on Ella, and catch up with everyone else in the KAL. I took careful notes using my Vogue Knitting app. So, when i matched it up to the bodice, I was a bit stunned. It was missing a huge chunk of stripes. About 12 rows worth. I guess somehow my row gauge was off. As much as I hate weaving in ends, I am grateful for the stripes that spoke the truth. It's time to do some sleeve math. I figure there were 9 decreases in which I decreased every other row. If I decreased every third row instead, that would give me 9 extra rows in the length of my sleeve cap. Then I can just knit 3 rows even and the problem would be solved. Let's see how this theory plays out.

Here is a picture of my sad sleeve.

Sleeve Island

Yesterday was Carnival day on the islands of Trinidad and Tobago. I would have much rather been there than in the cold, having to wear multiple layers of clothes, and keep my pedicure under wraps. I would have much rather had the sun beat down on me in my feather and bead costume, and consume ample amounts of coconut water with a little (or a whole lot of) sumthin' sumthin' added to it. I would have much rather listened to soca music vibrating through the air from speakers twice my height mounted on trucks plastered with ads for Monster Energy Drink and Blue Waters. I would have much rather seen friends I haven't seen in years, and meet new ones in equally beautiful festive regalia.

But alas, the only Island I am on is Sleeve Island. I will say, I am quite content that I am relaxed and not hearing the office phone ring, or seeing an overly exhausted banker go crazy when I tell him that its impossible to recolor a world map and add 100 tiny dots to it in 30 minutes because he needed it yesterday. Sleeve island is nice, because while I am here, I can watch a live stream of Trinidad's festivities while I knit. That makes me happy.

I made a boo-boo by increasing to 72 stitches instead of 70. But, whose counting? I fixed it by binding off 1 extra stitch in the first 2 sleeve decrease rows. I am happy to be making progress since last week's injuries had me slow down a bit. I anticipate being able to weave in the ends tomorrow ( hopefully). Next stop, bolero city! Oh yeah, and i'm booking a ticket to next year's carnival too.

The first picture shows me halfway through the decreases that happen every other row. The second picture shows a better depiction of the colors, and a close up of the sleeve cap in progress.

Eye Strain

It has been a really long day. I have been staring at a computer screen intently for 12 hours. It's a marvelous wonder that my eyes haven't just jumped out of their sockets and ran to the Optic Police to charge me with overuse and abuse. When you look at pixels all day, your eyes overwork because they are trying to focus on an image that is not real. So they tire themselves out by constantly refocusing. Now just multiply that with 4 straight hours of zooming in and out of Photoshop images to make sure each pixel is the correct color. No wonder I feel crazy right now.

I have decided that the best solution for this is to stare at a real image that is really pretty. I just wound up some Red Barn Yarn in the Nora #7 color way. It's a nice mix of Mohair and Wool that will become Escher's Oriental Poppy Cowl. I'm waiting for my poppy yarn to arrive, but I can cast on for the cowl in the meantime. So instead of hurting my eyes more by reading from my Nook, or playing Angry Birds on the way to work tomorrow... I will be knitting. It is soothing to the soul, and guess what? I can do it with my eyes closed.

This pattern calls for a size 10 needle. The only ones I could find were these Susan Bates straights that I got from an EBay auction 10 years ago. It feels good to go back to the basics.

Now, time to cast on and work the first row, so I can rest up for work tomorrow. Subway knitting, here I come!

Yarn loves me, yarn loves me not.

Truly, there is rarely a day that I go without knitting. However, this weekend almost made me cry.

Friday I went to work with a slight twitch in my back. Just a small, slight pain. I was tired from going out dancing the night before, and figured I must have just slept bad. I managed to make it to work, not necessarily bright eyed, but at least I was present. I drank about a quart of orange juice before normalcy set in. On the way home from work, I listened to the CogKnitive podcast while I tuned out the crazies that ride the subway. Dr. Gemma spoke about the importance of yoga in this particular episode. I was working on the Festivus gift for my coworker and carried on like I didn't have a care in the world.

Fast forward to Saturday morning. I had wonderful plans to tidy up the closet, organize the stash, and finish knitting my Ella sleeves. I tried to get up out of the bed. OUCH! I tried to swing my legs off the bed. OUCH! I tried to just sit up while I was in the bed. OUCH! Apparently, the left back muscles connected to my Thoracic spine decided that they wanted to throw a hissy fit. I finally somehow pushed myself off the bed with my arms. Then some foolish thing falls off of the night table onto the floor. I bend over to pick it up. OUCH. Ok. So, I revert back to ballet class. Second position, Grand Plié.....got it! Omg. Am I supposed to be a squatter all day?

I attempt to go to the grocery to buy some fruits and juices for my cousins kids. I try to carry a seemingly light box of Capri Sun juices from the carseat to the front door. OUCH! Then I feel it. The impulse go around my torso from the back to the front. Is that what a muscle spasm feels like?

I go upstairs to greet the kiddies. The four year old reaches up for a kiss. I bend down to kiss her forehead. OUCH! I have to squat again. "Anty Meka you are hurting. Are you gonna cry? You don't have to cry for that". This little one is so sweet. I try to unzip my boots. OUCH again! The 4 year old unzips them and uses all her strength to take them off my feet as I wiggle my foot around, holding on to the wall for dear life. After a struggle I am free.

Later on, I proceed to sit on the couch to catch up on knitting my lovely Ella. I usually lay my leg across the couch and line up my skeins somewhere between my leg and the back of the couch. OUCH. OUCH. OUCH. Now I am sinking into the couch, in searing pain, yarn is rolling everywhere, and
my tapestry needle just fell on the floor. Arrrrrrgh!

That's it. I've been holding out, and not trying to take meds all day. But, it's time for me to swallow one of them. 15 minutes later, zzzzzzzzzzz.

Throughout the rest of the weekend, I got a twitchy feeling every time I tried to knit. I got some relief on Monday, and I believe that was due to the fact that I did the "half lord of the fishes" yoga pose, also known as Ardha Matsyendrasana. (thanks, Yoga Journal!) Sit on the floor, bend one leg, cross the other leg over the thigh, twist toward the hip of the leg used in the crossover. I was able to feel a really good stretch. I moved slowly and breathed very deeply. I promised myself I would do a full yoga workout soon. But at this point, the downward dog seems impossible. Injuries humble you so much. They force you to slow down, and make you realize how important helpful people are. Even the little 4 year olds.

My overall results: I knit 20 more rows on my Ella sleeves Monday night, and made progress on the Scrumptious Neckwarmer for my coworker. I also want to post a pic of my little sweet angelic cousin who calls me "Anty Meka" in her sweet voice.