Knits For Sanity

I Gotta Knit This! BUT I Need Help

I found this pattern on The Daily Knitter:

Now I think this is absolutely adorable and so I must knit one for myself.  Unfortunately, I cannot find the yarn it calls for ANYWHERE!  The pattern calls for Lang yarns Romance and the gauge is 7sts=4in on size US15.  I'm pretty sure that isn't the gauge isn't for the yarn but just that of the pattern.  So, now I don't have the gauge of the yarn.  I need the gauge of the yarn so that I can find a suitable yarn to swap.  Can anyone help me?  I really want to knit this for myself.  I'm in love with it...seriously in love with it.  Please help.  I know there is a simple answer out there just waiting.  Perhaps I'm just having a mental block.

We made a DECISION!

  With my help my boyfriend has picked out a pattern for me to knit for him.  We knew it was going to be something out of Jaeger Men's Collection JB28. 

  It is a great pattern collection for young men.  I think I am going to chose a pattern from it for my little brother.  Well he's almost 21...I guess that's not so little anymore!)  Maybe a christmas present or something.    Anyhow I ordered the book online from The Knitting Garden last Monday.  It arrived yesterday.  After looking through it the decision is the same as it was before I ordered the book.  He wants this vest:

I think it's pretty cool lookin.  It is not going to be so cool to knit.  I think it will be the most challenging thing I've knitted yet.  I have to carry colors which I've never done.  As if that weren't enough it is done on Size 2 and size 3 needles!  It's definently going to take a while to finish. 

  I ordered the yarn online from the knitting garden last night.  It would have been easier to get the pattern and the yarn at the same time.  I couldn't do that b/c I didn't know what yarn the pattern called for.  The knitting garden only had pattern details for some of the patterns in the book.  Of course this wasn't one of them.  It would have been nice to save on shipping!

  I gotta go watch LOST!  I love new episodes!!   

I Love Grandma!

  I have one of the very best grandma.  I've lived 6 hours away from her for 10yrs, so having a close relationship has been tough.  We really bonded about 4 years ago.  She came up to visit for 3 weeks to take care of me after my knee surgery.  She was a nurse for many years and is great to have around if you're sick.  The surgery left me pretty helpless for about 6 weeks.  She was so wonderful.  She cooks the most amazing meals and desserts.  Her apple pie is TO DIE FOR!  It is my absolute favorite. 

  The best part about having her there was the time we spent together.  We watched a lot of movies and she told me the best stories about her life.  She went through a lot at a very young age.  It is amazing to me that she turned out to be such a good person.  She is the smartest woman I know.  I strive to be half as wise as she is some day. 

  Anyhow it was during that visit that I learned to knit.  She was knitting a sweater for me and I was really bored.  I asked her if she would teach me how to knit.  She is a great teacher.  It's funny though b/c she is left-handed and so I learned left-handed.  The only thing it effected is how I cast-on.  I've been doing it left-handed for so long that I don't think I could change!

  I've had 2 more large knee operations since that visit.  She came back to take care of me both times.  This time has been a little different b/c i have not recovered yet.  Since it has been 8 months and I'm still not doing so great she is going to try to come back soon.  We're hoping in the late spring sometime.  I'm really looking forward to it!-

  The distance between us stinks but I call her about once a week.  She asks me how therapy is going and how much pain I'm in etc.  I vent my frustrations to her.  She tells me that she is wearing out her rosary beads on me.  It's nice to know that someone cares so much about you.  Then we talk about our knitting and her quilting.  I am going to have her teach me how to quilt on her next visit.

  We talked tonight and she is going to send me a pattern a double pointed needles for a felted bag pattern.  She's so great isn't she?!  I'm excited!!  I really need something large (and cute!) to carry around my knitting.  I have found a few felting patterns I liked but have yet to purchase one.  I love my grandma!  Now I just have to decide on the color...

Sweater for My Boyfriend

  I have wanted to knit a sweater for my boyfriend for a long time.  He wears sweaters a lot during the winter and they look so great on him. So for his birthday, last February, I told him that I would knit him one as his gift.  I didn't knit it before his birthday b/c I didn't have enough time and I didn't know what kind of style he would prefer.  Since I am going to put in the time, money and effort I wanted to make sure that it is something that he will REALLY like and wear for a long time.

  I got him to take me to The Knitting Shoppe here in Iowa City last week to look for a pattern.  It is the only decent place to get patterns and nice yarn in town.  I had never realized though that they didn't carry any young, hip patterns for men.  Frankly the selection they had was very tiny and quite ugly.  But they do have tons and tons of pattern for young women.  Which is great for when I want to make a sweater or something for myself.  We both ended up being frustrated by not finding anything for him.  Just lugging me out there took a lot of effort.  At least we spent the time together though.

  This week I decided to find an awesome pattern no matter what.  So I looked to the wonderful, trustly internet for assistance.  I'm so happy b/c I found some nice patterns on a great website called The Knitting Garden this morning.  If you've never visited that site then you must!  All the patterns I like are out of the same pattern book by Jaeger, Men's Collection JB28.  I found quite a few that I like so I hope that Tom is going to like at least one!  Here are a few:

These models are very handsome!  (Yummy!)

I think that the gray sweater may be my favorite.  I'll have to wait and see what Tom thinks when I run them by him tomorrow.  As of now the jury is still out on this one. 

 

New Yarn- For My Stash or Projects?

  When my mom and I went to Hobby Lobby on Monday we couldn't leave without browsing through the yarn aisles.  Actually to be truthful we always say that we are going to browse but we always end up buying.  For me that means more projects to add to my ever-growing list.  Although the yarn could end up going into my stash if it doesn't get used. 

  I have been wanting to try to knit socks for awhile.  So I picked up some osck yarn at Hobby Lobby.  I chose this particular yarn in part for its color and in part for its free sock pattern on the inside of the label.

I love pinks and purples so this yarn was an obvious choice.  So now kitting a pair of socks is officially added to my list.  I may even start one this week.  (Just cause I say that doesn't mean I actually will!)

  I was knitting baby booties for the Univeristy of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics Neonatal ICU a couple of months back.  I stopped b/c I got to busy with other projects that needed to be finished.  Now I have decided to start up again.  I have a lot of Bernet Softee Baby in various colors but I wanted to try a different yarn.  I got this Bernet Cottontots during my trip to Hobby Lobby also.  It is wonderfully soft.

I think this yarn would also be great in a baby blanket.  My boyfriend's brother has a baby due in July.  So, I may use this yarn for a blanket for them.

  I'm going to knit as many baby booties as I can.  Still I am not going to give myself a set number of booties to reach.  I don't think that will work for  me.  I made 2 pairs of pink newborn size ones today.  As a result, I didn't get enough studying done today.  So I probably won't be able to keep up at that pace.  Plus I will probably get sick of knitting just booties everyday. 

  So my goal is to knit them until I run out of yarn, however long that may take.  I think I have 6 or 7 skeins of baby yarn that I can use.  I'll be keeping a tally every couple of days or so.

  I was also knitting baby hats for the UofI's nursery a couple months ago.  I may start up on that as well.  It depends on how things go.

  I have two really crazy cats in the room with me:

Oliver just hopped up onto the chair where I usually rest my bad leg.  His tail is swinging like mad.  His little brother has been chasing him.

Miller was hiding under the computer desk.  He about got himself squished before he squeezed his way out!  Yesterday I was only able to get a picture of his backside:

Here Miller had climbed into an empty bag.  I had just taken my new Lamb's Pride yarn out of it to take a picture. 

  Both of my cats have a huge fascination with empty bags.  It was cute until Oliver chewed on a plastic shopping back that held brand new clothes.  I usually like my new clothes with out little holes all over them.  I never made the mistake of leaving soemthing in a plastic bag in his reach again.  That and toilet paper.  He likes to tear it up in and out of the plastic, but mostly while it's still in the plastic.  He's a lovable little monster!

Bernet Venetian Yarn-Project

  I'm on a short study break right now.  So, I decided to use this time to post.

I think that I should start to try to use yarn out of my stash instead of continuing to buy more and more yarn.  My stash is getting so big that I am running out of storage space.  This Bernet Venetian yarn is from my stash.  I purchased it at least 2 years ago on ebay.  It's about time that I use it.  I think that I am going to make a shawl.  I was thinking about making a scarf, hat and mittens but it is going to be getting warm soon.  First I have to find a shawl pattern that I like.  So I'm hunting for one.

Better get back to Anatomy...(sigh)

Emma's Blanket on the Needles

I casted on Emma's baby blanket this weekend.  I have got to get going on it b/c she is going to be born in mid-April.  Here is a picture of what it will look like:

Cute huh?!  When I saw it I knew I had to make it for her.  It is just too cute with the little hearts. So precious. 

I have about 2 inches done.  I don't have as much time to knit right now as I would like.  I am working on getting my independent study courses finished.  It will be better after this week b/c I have an Anatomy exam on Friday.  I will be doing a lot of knitting this weekend.

   I really want to get going on making blankets for Warm up America.  I know of another knitter who is working fast and furious on this project: Major Knitter.  She gets so much done and I don't know how she does it.  Hopefully I will get going on this project soon.  As well as all ther others!

Another New Project

  I went to the knit shop last week and found a cardigan pattern I just had to have.  It is Sirdar Pattern #8336....

Cute Huh? I cannot wait to get started, but I am going to have to finish up some other projects first.  I have two projects for my cousin who is due in April.  Also, my boyfriend's 24th birthday was last Friday and I told him I would make him a sweater as his present.  He just has to help me pick out a pattern and the color he wants.  So, I hope to get started on that one soon.

Knowing that I have this cardigan waiting for me is going to motivate me to get those other things done first.  It'll be good to have motivation. Still...I CAN'T WAIT!!!!