Knitstiks

My How Time Flies...

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 17:54:07 GMT

Yes it has been months since I have last written, and much has happened. Should I give the long version or the more succinct short one? I vote for short, so here it goes, in list form.

In December Joel started the job in Illinois
We made plans to move
We went to Illinois to look for a house
We found a 3 acre farm to rent (God is Good ALL the Time!)
Back to Nebraska
Christmas came and went
Received the call Mom wasn't doing well
Postponed move
Went to Ohio to spend last days with her
Mom past away on New Years Eve
Funeral in Ohio
Memorial Service in Wisconsin
Back to Nebraska
Movers came and packed us up
Left Nebraska
Moving company delivers household goods
Months of unpack, unpack, unpack
Joel says, hey, lets get chickens
We get chickens
We remodel hog shed for chickens
Danna accidentally poisons several chickens
We get more chickens
And ducks, and turkeys, and geese
We get guinea fowl
Yeah! We are farming
Joel leaves job that brought us here
Joel gets a new job (God is Good ALL the Time!)
Joel travels a lot
Chickens start laying eggs
Farming is hard work
Danna starts knitting again
God is Good ALL the Time!

Tribute to My Mom

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 18:37:39 GMT

Donna Lee Muetze
Born on April 4, 1938
Departed on Dec. 31, 2007

Oh, Oh, Oh, Here We Go Again...

Fri, 30 Nov 2007 04:24:10 GMT

So yeppers, after living in utter secrecy for the last 3 weeks, it is official. We are moving, again. Almost exactly one year later. My husband accepted a job in Illinois with a company he worked for previously, only this time in a managerial capacity. Woohoo! He will work days! Yippy! We will be closer to loved ones! Well, of course I am totally overwhelmed, anxious, excited, and absolutely on the verge of a complete breakdown. Aha, but I thrive on conflict and drama so if anything, this is right up my alley...

Tribute ~ Shelby 1995-2007

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 17:34:45 GMT

On Saturday, October 20th, our dear companion Shelby was put to sleep.

In Loving Memory of Our Shelby

Her Journey Has Just Begun

Don't think of her as gone away-
her journey's just begun
life holds many facets
this Earth is only one

Just think of her as resting
from the sorrows and the tears
in a place of warmth and comfort
where there are no days or years

Think how she must be wishing
that we could know today
how nothing but our sadness
can really pass away

Just think of her as living
In the hearts of those she touched
And nothing loved is ever lost-
For she was loved so very much.

My Mom

Tue, 28 Aug 2007 00:30:43 GMT

This is a tough entry to write. I will be on hiatus from the blog for a few weeks, as I will be in Ohio visiting my mother who has cancer. We don't know how much time she has left, and we want to see her before she is completely ravaged by the disease. I hate being so far away from her, (I am in Nebraska), and also, being the oldest of 5 children, I feel I am letting down my younger siblings who live near her. They have to be strong and brave, while I will be here waiting for the phone call telling me her time has come to leave us. If it is within your faith and heart to do so, please say a prayer that my mother is called home swiftly and doesn't linger in pain.

Back to School

Sat, 25 Aug 2007 00:01:47 GMT

Sorry I haven't posted lately. I have been busy getting ready for our 8th year of home schooling, printing out lots of books and resources. We use Ambleside Online for our curriculum. I started teaching Teen in 2nd grade, and here she is, a 9th grader! and Tween, he is a 5th grader this year. WOW! I can't believe how fast it seems to have gone by. I haven't been knitting at all, as this school prep really had me bogged down. Actually, not really, but truth be told, I am probably the most prepared I have been since I started doing this.

Now that we have begun our first week, I finally have some time during their schooling to sit and knit. Socks are on the back burner though, as all of a sudden, (or so it seems) I know 3 women who are expecting, and I am in the process of making blankets and sweaters (maybe hats and booties too) for their new arrivals.

Home State Swap

Mon, 06 Aug 2007 16:26:40 GMT

Here are all the lovely things I received from Lesley Ann my swap partner in the Home State Swap over on SockManiacSocknitters. Lots of info on Virginia, a deck of cards in a nice little plastic box, a Virginia key chain, little scissors, I LOVE THESE, a cucumber and melon candle in a tin, note pad in the letter "D", Sunkist Fruit Gummy Candy, which I opened right away and nibbled on while looking at the rest of the goodies, a skein of Sockotta yarn in yummy colors, my new all time favorite treat, Chocolate Covered Sunflower Seeds. Oh my, these are addictive! and oh so Good! Werthers hard candies, a calendar, 4 sock patterns; Goose Bumps, Razor Shell, Sox on 2 Stix, and Lava Flow. Next is a cute m&m memo pad with a pen, an assorted box of teas, a cute silly little key chain pen, a needle gauge which came just in time because I broke mine last week (how did you know?), Cotton Candy Body lotion and a bar of soap. OH NO! I just realized you can't see the super little purple canvas bag that is the perfect size for carrying a sock project! I just love it. It is behind everything with the little calendar sticking out of it. Lesley Ann did a great job for this being her first swap, and never mind the fact she is just 13 years old. Super Job, and Thanks So Much!

Sick As A Dog

Thu, 26 Jul 2007 16:09:04 GMT

I really have been doing a fair bit of knitting since my last FO post; I just haven't taken any pics of them yet to put up on the blog. This last week I have been unable to accomplish any knitting as I was quite sick. It just started with a little bit of pain in the neck on Thursday, after a week or so of working on games for a carnival our church was sponsoring at Royal Family Kids Camp, but by Saturday I was in so much pain and couldn't move my left arm or lift my head, that I ended up in the emergency room at the hospital. I was hoping for some type of muscle relaxers, so the pain would go away, but the doctor prescribed pain meds so the pain would go away and then the muscles would relax. TYLOX, EVEN BETTER!

Later that afternoon I started to get a really sore throat and a drippy nose, and ended up with an upper respiratory infection, (the same bug that has been going around the family for the last few weeks). I have done nothing but rest and sleep for the past 4 days, and just yesterday finally felt somewhat normal again. While I was resting on the sofa, I knit ZOOM, a pattern I found on Ravelry for a swiffer duster cover. My left arm and neck are a bit stiff today because of it, but I believe the worst is over. I can now get back to my regularly scheduled knitting. Ha Ha, UFO"S here I come!

Wild and Crazy Swap

Tue, 24 Jul 2007 01:30:14 GMT

So I finally received my package from my partner in the wild and crazy swap over at SockmaniacSockKnitters. I was really disappointed with how long I had to wait and was just relieved I got it. Sorry, but there won't be any pictures because frankly I am just glad this one is over. You will have to use your imaginations.

2 skeins of Colinette Jitterbug sock yarn, colorways "Jewel" and "Mardi Gras"
2 different novelty yarns for the cuffs, Bernat Boa and Crystal Palace Popcorn
A set of Sox Stix by Lantern Moon in size 4 (yea me!)
3 patterns by Darlene at Northern Sunshine Designs, "Telkwa" and "Carnations and Cranberries" and "Waterfalls" (can't wait to try them; which one should I do first?)
A little red canvas tote bag (I love this)
2 floral smelling candles (not labeled)
A bar of Red Clover Tea soap (yummy smelling)
A 1 oz Gloves in a Bottle hand lotion (I think this is my new favorite lotion)
A bag of Lindor Chocolate Truffles (the kids and I inhaled these first thing)
A sample packet of Gevalia coffee
A small dial stitch counter
A gauge ruler
A pad of note paper
And 2 nail buffers

All in all, a nice assortment of things.

Keeping Track

Tue, 17 Jul 2007 05:04:27 GMT

I just wanted to share how I keep track of gusset rows, and everything else, for that matter.

I have a small note book, and for each sock I work on, I give it one page.

At the top, I write the name of the sock, Amount of CO sts, and size dpns I used.

Next comes the ribbing, so I just write the type I am using, (twisted rib, k1-p1, etc) and how many rows, using tally marks.

I keep track of pattern rows next. Based on the number of rows, I write that across one line, and tally underneath. I write how many total repeats of the pattern I did, and circle it. I stop here, where I begin the heel.

Then comes the heel. Most of my heels are done with heel flaps, so I track them in a set of knit and purl rows. If I am using a variant heel, lets say eye of the partridge, I will set it up as slip knit sets and slip slip sets. Remember, a set is the knit side and the purl side included together.

Then comes the gussets, and here I pick up the required # of stitches on both sides, remembering to keep track of the pattern rows as I knit across, (I also start a new pattern row tracking line here so I don't get confused when I knit the the second sock)

Now to decrease the gussets, I have a line that says gus dec and no dec. I alternate tally marks after each row is knit until I have decreased back down to the original number of stitches on the needle.

Now I start another new pattern row tracking line here for the foot portion, and make note of what pattern row I began with so I can be consistent with the second sock. I knit the foot to length, and then begin toe decreases.

Toe decreases are written as toe dec and no dec. I just tally the decreases until the toe is small enough to close.

Following is an example of my sheet.

Monkey Socks
CO 72 over 4 sz2.25mm dpns

Twisted Rib (k1tbl, p1) ~~llllllllllll~~(15)

Pattern Rows (3 rounds each)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
lll lll lll lll lll lll lll lll lll lll lll

Eye Partridge Heel
Slip Knit Sets (10) Slip Slip Sets (10)
~~llllllll~~ ~~llllllll~~

Turn heel (13 ea side) (this is so I get a wider heel)

Pick up 21 ea side gusset sts ( knit row 1 of pattern as you go across)

Knit one round (knit row 2 of pattern)

Pattern Rows (during gusset decreases)
    1 2 3    4     5    6    7    8    9   10 11
-start w/row 3- lll lll    lll lll    ll    ll ll ll     ll
    ll     ll
Start Gusset Decreases (row 3 of pattern)
    Gus Dec                              No Dec
~~llllllll~~lll                            ~~llllllll~~lll

Foot Pattern Rows (begin w/ row 7)
   1 2 3 4    5    6    7    8    9   10 11
   ------start w/ row 7------- l      l     l      l      l
   lll    lll lll    lll    lll   lll    lll    lll    lll    ll   ll
end with row 9

toe dec no dec
~~llllllll~~lll ~~llll~~

Close toe.

That's all there is to it!
Now knit the second sock, using this page as your reference.