Hooray!! (^_^)

I know it's been a while since I've blogged...Not like anyone reads this thing anyway, though.

How sad.

But things have been busy what with it being the holidays and all.

Nor have things been very good here on the home front either. I don't know what it is exactly about this time of year, but from October 31st through Dec 31st, things get real shitty here. Bad luck and bad moods.

However, Christmas was real nice this year. I always enjoy the week of though. We went over to my in-laws on Christmas Eve for a small family get together. I hadn't realized Dillinger was so shy until that night. He fell and got a giant goose egg on his forehead right before the kids started opening presents. Scared the crap out of me. He got over it fairly quickly. Maybe it was because of all the action.

On Christmas Day, we actually woke up before the kids did. Maybe we were the excited ones. :laughs: The kids opened their presents immediately. Dillinger kept gasping at everything he opened - so cute! After, we went out to Waffle House and had breakfast and then drove 40 minutes to my parents house. Fun times to be had...

Dia got a children's guitar and drum set. A rocking horse that she wants to paint pink with yellow polka dots. Several art sets and board games. And quite a few educational toys.

Dillinger got the typical things a one year old would get. A piano, a toy phone, toy drum, and a hobby horse.

My parents surprised me this year. Typically, my mom buys me things I need...Like toothpaste, razor, or shit that I may have mentioned I was slightly interested in when I was fourteen. This year though was different...She got me a knitting basket, two knitting books, a random assortment of retro needles, and notions. Squee!

After the disappointment of Dia's legwarmer, I took a bit of a knitting break. And don't ask why it double posted. I'll have to fix that later...It never seems like I take that long of a break, until I really sit back and take a look at it.

My current project is a pair of mittens for Dillinger. It's been damn near a year since I tried my hand at knitting mittens.

Oh, and I didn't gauge, so...we'll see how this turns out.

Last night.....I threw a big ol' hissy fit

I was working on knitting a pair of leg warmers for my daughter on some size 3 double pointed needles. Using a sport weight yarn... Keyword here is was. I pulled it out of my bag last night and one of the needles had slipped out. I tried saving it...but only made things worse.

So I ripped it out...and threw a fit which rivaled that of my daughter's.

I had at least 50 rows done and was maybe about 1/4th of the way done with the first leg warmer.

I don't get the chance to knit that often or for long periods of time. So even if it's one row, it's a lot of progress.

Oh and I'm pretty sure I threw away all my pattern notes (it was my own)...So I have to knit another swatch....

:sigh:

Last night.....I threw a big ol' hissy fit

I was working on knitting a pair of leg warmers for my daughter on some size 3 double pointed needles. Using a sport weight yarn... Keyword here is was. I pulled it out of my bag last night and one of the needles had slipped out. I tried saving it...but only made things worse.

So I ripped it out...and threw a fit which rivaled that of my daughter's.

I had at least 50 rows done and was maybe about 1/4th of the way done with the first leg warmer.

I don't get the chance to knit that often or for long periods of time. So even if it's one row, it's a lot of progress.

Oh and I'm pretty sure I threw away all my pattern notes (it was my own)...So I have to knit another swatch....

:sigh:

A few FO's for my friend's baby

My best friend is pregnant with her first child. She'll be having a little girl some time around December 20th. She is, as all first time mothers are, very nervous.

I, on the other hand, am very excited. I know she'll make a great mother. Although, she does have much learning to do. But I feel this will bring us closer together. Ever since I got married and had kids, we've drifted a bit. Not so much in our love for each other (I love this girl to death), but I could tell she felt distant. Understandably though, because I know she doesn't understand. As sappy as this may sound, no one can understand love until they look into the eyes of their child. It doesn't necessarily happen instantly, but as you watch your child grow, the love for them grows that much more.

Anyway. Sap-fest over. Here are the things I've made for her.



The hat is tiny. Which is how I wanted it to be. I wanted it to fit for those first few weeks, since she'll be born in December and no "newborn" hat ever fits a baby that early. I am a little worried that it may be just a tad bit too small.




These leg warmers are not what I made for her. However, I did use the Peppermint (red and white) yarn pictured to make her a cotton baby bib. It was done in stockinette stitch with a garter stitch border. It only has one strap and buttons closed with a white button sewn on with red thread. I realized, as I went to upload the photos, that I'd completely forgotten to take pictures of it when I was done. (T_T)

I also intend on making her a few more things, such as baby leg warmers. However, I need to wait until she is born because I've forgotten how skinny a baby's legs really are.

DazzleMea's OTK Japanese Legwarmers (UPDATED: now with more functioning links!)

I've finally finished my leg warmers!



I know, no one knew I was actually knitting leg warmers, but I've been so busy knitting lately, I haven't had too much time to blog. I started them in September but didn't finish until tonight. As winter was fast approaching, I realized that my family needed things first, and these got put on hold for a bit.

But here it is! My first official pattern!

Download PDF (If you have a problem downloading the PDF, please email me) If you don't like the ties because they can be difficult to use, just work a 2 stitch I-Cord on a set of smaller DPNs. **It's come to my attention that the .pdf is being stupid here's a link to the pattern **

I would update with more pictures, however, my batteries are dead (how dramatic) and I lost the charger.

I learned something while making these though....

Measure often.

I accidentally knitted several rows too many. I tried to fix this mistake by inserting my needle to abouts where I messed up. Well....This yarn is deceiving. I've found it difficult to even measure my gauge. Well, in the process I tilted my needle and the one side was slightly longer.

Lucky for me this pattern is very forgiving! All I had to do was slightly bunch up the button area. And since these are slouchy, you can hardly tell.

Reflecting on Dillinger's first year

Today's Dillinger's first birthday. I can hardly believe it's been a year already! Here are some pictures I've taken over the last few years

Dangit!

About three or four weeks ago we were at Walmart in Oberlin. We had $20 extra for me to spend on yarn. Now, Walmart isn't known for it's wondiferous yarn collection....In fact, the selection here was downright sad. Ugh. But Oberlin is just a small college town. However, they did have a surprisingly decent selection of cotton.

I bought two balls of Peaches n' Cream. One red and white ombre called Peppermint, and one black and light grey called Licorice. I had originally planned on making some baby bibs out of them.

Keyword here is orignally.

Then, I suddenly had the desire to knit me some japanese legwarmers.

Oooh.....Japanese legwarmers....

As I neared halfway finished with the first one, when it dawned on my dumb ass that I was definitely going to need another ball of each color. Dan assumed that it was going to be relatively easy to get these colors again. Turns out no. At least not the licorice. Plenty of peppermint though. Checked two stores.

Unfortunately, since I only had one skein each.....................I only have a legwarmer. But it still looks pretty freakin sweet!

I present you:
Japanese-style Legwarmers

©All rights reserved. Pattern or design is not to be sold or redistributed without prior permission from the author, Meagan Fischer.

Materials:
2 Balls Peaches n Cream cotton yarn, Peppermint
2 balls Peaches n Cream cotton yarn, Licorice
size 7 straight needles
row counter
yarn needle

Instructions:
With Licorice, CO 30 sts. Work 6 rows in K1P1 ribbing
Knit in St st until you have 20 rows.

Change to Peppermint and work 20 rows in St st.

Alternate Licorice and Peppermint four more times.

Loosely BO. Seam sides.