Ravelympics Update - No medals

I tried very hard to work a miracle, but there was just too much to do yesterday. I had lunch with Tawana and KJ, and we knit in Starbucks for a while. (Check out the cute Sit N Knit onesie!) KJ kept trying to bite the yarn. Hehe! She has two teeth starting to show themselves. I think we have a superstar knitter in the works.

I also had to help set up for a friend's surprise birthday party at around 6:00 pm. That totally cut into my knitting. I am a night owl, and my most productive hours are in the evenings. So, I am home today, all partied out, hungry, tired, and with an unfinished sweater and sock. :-(

I woke up this morning at 9:00 and tried to finish my sock since it was straight stockinette. I thought at least I could get 1 medal. But, I was averaging 1 inch every hour at that small gauge at 64 stitches 2 at a time. I figured that if I worked on the sweater, I would be working even more stitches, considering the pocket, sleeves, and rest of the body. I could have rushed it and made a short sleeved sweater with no pocket. But, that is not what I really wanted, so I will graciously bow out of the competition.

In the next 4 years, I will plan it better. During the course of these past 2.5 weeks, I have been sidetracked by gigs, rehearsals, stitch-marker and jewelry making, work, and promoting a party. Serious killing of my knitting time. Oh, the mixed blessing of being multi-talented. Knitters are always hopelessly overcommitted.

So, what's next for me? Tomorrow is Flatbush SNB. I will go there and work on my sweater as long as the swelling on my knitting needle jabbed finger goes down. The sock will remain my commuter knitting project. I can still enter it into Summer of Socks. Oh, did I mention I have a gig tonight too? It starts at 6 PM. I guess I should get going. I have to wash and restyle the hair so that it can be stage ready. More updates tomorrow!!

Marathon knitting!!!

With a little less than 26 hours left before closing ceremonies, I am putting in all my effort. My pointer finger is sore from the jabbing of my left knitting needle. However, I think Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson may have been sore a few times, and that didn't stop them from winning medals!!

Here is my progress so far.

Sweater Sprint - Wicked Sweater

In Trinidad, we have a saying that goes "No rest for the wicked". I stayed up until about 4 AM working on this. The only reason I stopped was because I fell asleep with it in my hands. Yesterday morning, I was still working on the yoke, and now I am up to the waist shaping decreases. I have to continue down until the body reaches 11 inches from the underarm before I work the edging. I am already past the 4 inch mark, so I really feel good about this one. I still have faith that I can do it.

Sock Put - Toe Up Socks

I have about 5 inches left before I get to the cuff. This yarn is not as soft as the yarn that I am using on the sweater, so it is not as nice to knit with. I will save this for last. I should have known better and used some prettier yarn. However, I bought this Lion Brand Magic Stripe yarn in my early days of knitting, and I am stashbusting before Rhinebeck.

So I am planning to meet Tawana and KJ for lunch and knitting in the park. We will see how that plays out.

OK, enough of this typing. My sweater needs me. Happy Knitting everyone!!!

Wicked Mistakes

Here is my Wicked sweater progress as of yesterday.

I have been trying to make progress on my Wicked sweater, but I keep running into dumb mistakes. I guess the whole idea of trying to rush it through makes me forget to properly read directions, and have common sense. The first incident occured on a day I set out to go to the hair salon to get some knitting done whilw I was waiting for my hair to dry. I was on the raglan increase portion, and all I had to do was kfb in the stitch before and after the 4 markers that were positioned at the arms. So why the heck did I do the increases at the marker that marked off the round? I didn't even have a darning needle to help create a lifeline, so I got fed up and ended up ripping out the whole thing. So, as I casted on again, I made it back to the raglan increase and thought it was smooth sailing. That is when I saw this...... (my apologies.. the picture just rotates , even when I don't want it to)

An increase at the row count marker again, only this time it was 7 rows below my current row. I guess that's what I get for trying to watch a movie in the dark, and knit at the same time. So, I had to do a little surgery....

So, I figured I would try to complete my sock since the wicked sweater was giving me so much trouble. Then I ran into this problem........

It turns out that there was an unwanted yarnover that must have sneaked in when I was wrapping and turning the short row heel. But, I was able to fix it. Here is my current progress as of today. Hopefully I can finish the sock this evening. Good thing it is all stockinette. Whew!

All in all there are 3 days to go, and I still have to complete the yoke, body, waist shaping, pocket and sleeves of my sweater. Well, good thing I don't have to seam anything. Sheesh!!! I really want that medal for finishing in 17 days... well it will really be a medal for finishing in 3 days, if I can get it. I still have faith and hope. That never dies!!!

My knitting Weekend/early week

This past Saturday was the SisterFriends Harlem Knittaque in St. Nicholas park. We had a blast. However, I don't remember getting much knitting done, because I was STUFFING MY FACE SO MUCH!!! Ian, those ribs were soooooo delicious.

Honestly, I did try to knit... for real. See?? This is where I left off Saturday Night.
Then the unthinkable happened. I found two sections of the crossed rib that were not crossed. I got so upset that I ripped it out. After casting on again about 3 times later, I finally got it crossed perfectly. Then, I felt the fabric, and figured that it felt way too loose. So I ripped it again....to cast on with a size 7 needle. This is totally not good. This is like the US gymnast whose only event was the uneven bars because of her ankle injury, and she fell off. How am I supposed to finish this sweater???

The next day, I went to the Flatbush SNB, and I made progress. Maybe it happened because I didn't have that grill tempting me every 2 seconds, or the fact that I had a nice Chocolate Chai latte, or the fact that KJ was sitting across from me and just smiling with her sweet face. Who knows, but in either case.... I made some progress, and have progressed to the Raglan shaping portion of the pattern.

Here are some more pics from the weekend.

Chante showing off her shrug.
I get some sweetface time.

Happy Mommy (Tawana) gets in some knitting time.KJ getting some Pinkberry time. Yes, we are getting her addicted from an early age. 6 months and already a pinkberry fiend.

Here is my Ravelympics Progress as of today.

Sweater Sprint - and yes, I did make myself a pair of Ravelympics 2008 Stitch Markers

Sock Put
I know, I know. I've got a long way to go.

Gearing up for Ravelympic Training!!!

The Summer Olympics begin in 11 days, and my Ravelympic training started tonight when I went to the Flatbush SNB meeting. I like this group because it is in Brooklyn, there is ample parking near the location (Connecticut Muffin), the people are friendly, it's 20 minutes away from my house, there is a bus that takes me straight there if I don't feel like driving, and a very good friend of mine lives around the corner. Lately, my weekends have gotten very busy, so it has been difficult to squeeze in knitting time. Then, you have to drag yourself to work on Monday morning. This monday evening knitting meeting is a great way to have something to look forward to as I am dragging myself to work.

For Ravelympics I have decided to knit the Gathered Pullover as my Sweater Sprint project. Originally, the pattern uses Brown Sheep Top of The Lamb Sport, but I decided to use Berroco Ultra Alpaca. The original gauge is 19sts/24 rnds on size 7 needles. My yarn's gauge is 20sts/26rows. We will see what circular knitting does to that number. I will begin my magic loop swatch tonight. I have both size 7 and 6 needles, just in case.Aside from that, I have to finished my Nutkins. Finally, a Finished Object that belongs to me me me !!!! This is entry #1 for Summer of Socks 08

This is my Camera Sock. All that is left to be done is the kitchener stitch, but I keep messing it up. AARRRRRGGH!!!!

Happy Knitting everyone!!!

Summer of Socks 2008 - My Thoughts

Today is the end of the first 2-week installment of Summer of Socks. I am making my Nutkins and here is my progress.

I have a few words to say about this knitalong.

Initially, it was meant to be a slight "push" to get the socks going in preparation for the cold winter day in the not-so-distant future when we will really need it. I have decided to use my stash yarn as a way to save money, as well as make room in my closet. This has encouraged me and given me some realistic goals. I decided to try to make 1 sock every 2 weeks. I have found new interesting patterns, and am making use of the 2 at a time magic loop technique that I love so much.

However, I am a little hurt by some of the things that I see other people in the blogosphere are doing when there is something called a PRIZE at stake. I have seen people finish socks on the first day, and hooray for the speedy knitters. but on the flip side, I have seen people make 2 inch cuff socks because that is the minimum suggested for contest entry. I feel sorry for their poor ankles when the temperature drops. My beautiful knitters, please remember that even though it is a contest, it is still your socks. Or will be the socks of the loved one that you give it to. Don't do the injustice of making something that is not totally fulfilling just for the sake of a contest. You are making people lose their mojo here.

Well, even though I am not complete with my first pair in 2 weeks, I am super excited that I found a pattern I love, and even more excited that I managed to make the short-row heel look much better on my second try. Good thing I only had to frog that portion once. My socks will be ready whenever they are ready, no pressure. And if I feel so inclined, I will add them to the PRIZE entry for next 2-week interval. But I will tell you one thing, my socks will rock. They will be super gorgeous things that I have put love and time into, and they will be absolutely beautiful. I also want to give praise to a dear friend of mine, Deb, who is a serious knitting motivator, for finishing within 8 days. Way to go!!!

Where has Shameka been???

It has been 3 weeks since I last blogged. What took me so long? Well, it really has been an eventful 3 weeks. Where do I start??

First of all, I modeled in a photoshoot for my hair salon House of Hair. They needed someone really daring to do a drastic change, so here are some of the "candid" shots on the day of the shoot.

I also went on a frenzy making a bunch of stitch markers. I have already updated my ETSY site with blog-button stitch markers for customization, so if you would like something made please don't hesitate to send me a message. I will make more updates soon, I promise.

These are for Carrie. They will be in the mail shortly. She was the only one to respond to THE CHALLENGE. She didn't have a blog button, so I created an image for her to use on her stitch markers. I also made them in her favorite color of blue. They can be used on worsted weight and chunky needles.

These are for Tawana. She was kind enough to gift me some Lorna's Laces sock yarn in Bittersweet. So, this is my way of saying "Thanks". These are for my Sit N' Knit Group. They were raffle prizes for our Worldwide Knit in Public Day event. It was so much fun. Congratulations to the five lucky people who won stitch marker prizes!!! These stitch markers are Limited Edition.

These were made especially for Me!!!

I also had a performance at a fairly new club in Brooklyn called LIME. The vibe was really nice, and we had a lot of fun. I am singing alongside the one and only Dane Gulston. I admire him as a musician so much. This man can play ANYTHING on that Steelpan!!! He had the crowd jammin' all night. And guess what?? He saw me knitting, and admires all of my various talents, including my knitting skills. He has already requested a hat from me. Not sure if I can make anything to surpass that Kangol hat that he is wearing, but I can surely try.

I went to see Sex And The City with my girls Tawana, Chante, and Saunielle. Afterwards we had sushi, and I thought this cup was so cute. We had a lot of fun, and I even got some knitting done.

Here is the knitting update!!!

While I was at the hair salon (all day), I started this Top-Down Raglan Cardigan . I am almost complete with the yoke. I am using Manos del Uruguay in color #118, Mulled Wine on size 9 needles. I love this color. The yarn smells a little like vinegar, but I can deal with it. I will use some Citrus flavored SOAK to make the foul smell go away when I am blocking.

I also made some progress on my Jaywalkers.

I started a new pair of socks for my Summer of Socks Knitalong. These are my Nutkins that I started this past Sunday. I am using Socks that Rock Mediumweight in "Mustang Sally" from my stash, and size 2.5mm Knitpicks 40 inch needles. I acquired it at Rhinebeck. I first fell in love with this color when I saw it on Deb's blog. I don't know what took me so long to make something with it. I LOVE THIS YARN!!! It feels so nice. I feel so happy that I matched the perfect pattern with the perfect yarn. The pattern is very easy to follow and remember, which makes it even nicer. I am currently on the third repeat of the pattern. I have to complete 8 repeats before I turn the heel. Once again, magic loop is my friend. I am afraid that I will never go back to double points. This 2-at-a-time technique is a winner!!! Now I just hope I can finish in 2 weeks to be eligible for that raffle prize. I already started a day late... Darn!! Wish me luck!!!

Also, in response to the comments in my last blog post, I will be making earrings to match the stitch markers for all of the Mekamika admirers out there. Thank you for all of the feedback, input and well wishes. Having good people like you to help guide my creativity is priceless.

Sock Mojo!!!

So, I was happily knitting along with my Jaywalkers and then a problem occured. I tried them on, and they were not snug around my skinny ankles. I was so annoyed. I used a size 1 knitpicks needles, so what was the problem??? Well, knitpicks size 1 needles come in 2.25mm and 2.50mm sizes. Apparently, I have been knitting the smaller version of the pattern with the 2.50mm size. On Ravelry, everyone else knitting with KP Felici is using the 2.25mm size. And, their results look nice and snug, and great. So, to the frog pond I must go. AArrgghh!!!.... there goes 1 week of travel knitting down the drain. Look at how far I got? Well, at least I remember the pattern offhand. Hey, at least trying again is better than droopy socks. Who wants elephant ankles??

On another note, I have been preparing for the Summer of Socks. I have also been practicing using my camera along with my budget lightbox that I created from the Strobist's blog. I actually like the picture results. Hey, it sure beats spending $100 on photography equipment.

So, in order to get myself ready for the Summer of Socks, I decided to split my skeins down the middle to make knitting 2 at a time possible. Did I say that I am loving the 2 at a time Magic Loop technique? Pictures below are the Sit N Knit limited edition colorway from the Plucky knitter. I won it during the SNK raffle at the logo party a while back. Next to that is Lorna's Laces in Bittersweet. In the front is Socks That Rock in the Mustang Sally colorway. I plan to make Nutkins with those. Also, I must add that STR has a lot of weight to it. 81 grams per sock, as opposed to 50 grams for other sock yarns. Hmmm... I may be able to get some baby socks out of it too. We will see.

This bittersweet treat was a gift from Tawana. As a token of my gratitude, I started to make some personalized stitch markers for her. I will take pics of those tomorrow.
It has been 41 days since my self-imposed ban on buying yarn. I am still getting tempted. WEBS tent sale is this weekend, my car is tuned up and running like new, and the GPS is all ready to go. Too bad I already made plans for the weekend. I have a lot of friends visiting from out of town. But if you can get to Massachusetts, by all means, enjoy yourself. I promise, I won't stalk you with jealous hissing.