The Agony of de-feet

Sometimes, when you're working on a project, everything turns out all hunky-dory! Like this "Happy Spring," crochet banner I've started for my office! FYI, I only have N and G left, so it's actually almost done! 

Also almost done is the third pair on a trip of stripey socks, using one of my favorite commercially produced self-striping yarns,  Felici (by Knitpicks.com).

Unfortunately, as you can see, there is something wrong with my second striping skein of pinks...and sometimes this happens with Felici. It usually starts with a knot (which is where the trouble started onion this one), then the yarn changes. 

I've seen Felici shorten stripes, skip a stripe, or even change the order of colors, after a knot...but this is the first time I've used a skein that appears to have been mishandled by the dyers (mechanical or otherwise) after the knot.

I was a little upset when I first noticed the mistake. Truthfully, I'm still in a little agony now, but I'm probably not worked up enough to reach out to Knit Picks about it. I do love it when my handknit socks match perfectly, but I have not stopped loving Felici...and as I said before, knots do happen with this yarn...so I'll probably just finish these socks before moving on to the next pair. These pink stripes are not a gift, and they will still be comfortable and pretty, so no harm, no foul. I've got bigger fish to fry. 

After all, I live in northeast Ohio. Have you seen the news about northeast Ohio lately? This is my favorite of all the info graphics I saw on FB this week...lol! (Not sure who the OP is, but shout out to my buddy Karen for sharing on her profile!)

Yeah, 4 seasons plus a meteor in one week...and I've also heard that Bigfoot may be on the loose, so I'm just gonna stay inside and play with yarn this weekend. I hope you also have solid plans for the weekend. If yes, drop a comment to let me know what they are! 

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health! 

Following Directions?

When you have a thing that needs to be put together, are you more likely to look at the directions or just try to wing it? It probably won't surprise you to learn that I like to read - and follow - the directions...most of the time anyway! With knitting, well...sometimes I get a little cocky with knitting. 

Recently, I picked up a pattern for a toy that was knit flat and seamed, but my plan was to knit "in the round," avoiding the need to sew all of the pieces together in the end. Having done this many times before, I felt fairly confident, until I stuffed this blob (that looks NOTHING at all like a parrot), and set it down to figure out what I had done wrong. 

This pattern, as many before it, starts with "make two" in the instructions for the head and body. In error, I assumed this meant that the two pieces would be stitched together in the end, so I cast on double the stitches, joined to work in the round, and worked every row of directions twice. This is standard operating procedure in the world of toy knitting, but it was not giving me anything remotely resembling the pic in the pattern!

I was making a parrot, not a chubby chick! Did I possibly only need to make one? Ding! Ding! Ding! Yes, as it turns out, this pattern pictured two parrots (same bird, different main colors), and it was telling you to make double the pieces at every step. If I had knitted the pieces flat, at the end, I would have had enough parts to piece together a pair of parrots. So I ripped out the round one, and started over. By the time I knit only one beak and sewed it on, my knitting was was starting to look like the photo!

I was a little sad that I had lost so much time in my misinterpretation of the instructions, but I was also well on my way to one lovely bird! As I added crest feathers, claws and the whites of the eyes (don't shoot!), I was eager to move onto the wing feathers...and today, I have that bird finished! I would have finished it yesterday, but I have a stupid job...

For the record, I love my job. I have been created for the type of job I have, and I don't know what I would do if I did not work in an office someday...but some days, I'd still rather knit. Luckily, yesterday was Friday, and since then, I have finished a flock of feathers...

He seemed very curious about the feathers and appeared to be looking in their direction, but without pupils...well, I'm not sure what he thought about that development...lol!

Triumphantly, before blogging today, I did manage to whip together wings and lace some lashes onto that bird, and now he is complete! A Parrot Pal (singular) to be loved by a boy whose favorite animal is a...mongoose! 

No! His favorite animal is a parrot, Sillies! It's a parrot for a parrot-loving boy! I'll post pictures when they are together at last (his birthday is next month). Just for kicks, I've also made him a parrot hoodie...isn't that fun?

For what it's worth, I didn't exactly follow the directions on that either, but I was probably closer than the parrot! And how cute is this little guy on the shoulder?

Oh, I am looking forward to this birthday, and to the next couple also! So many directions to follow, but I think I can...I think I can...I think I can... 

How are you at following directions? Would you rather improvise? Whatever your answer, I hope you have what you need by the end of the project!

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health!

Three Musketeers

I feel like this picture tells a story...

...and so it does. It's the story of three boys, growing up together so that they will always be the best of friends (and maybe finding some mischief, too!). Wanna guess who the ringleader will be? 

If you guessed that the fearless, headstrong, third-born of the brood will be that brother, I would tell you that is a very solid guess! But who knows, really...

We have two of the three boys at our house this weekend, so I'm putting this post together  early. It will go live at the normal time, and I will hopefully be napping when it does, but I anticipate that I will not have time or energy to do much blogging on Saturday or Sunday! 

On Monday morning, there will be copious cups of coffee to help Pop Pop and I recover from the fun! Then I will try to catch up on some knitting...

I hope you have found something to enjoy this weekend, and thanks for stopping by!

Now, go Knit in Good Health (and share with me what you're knitting in the comments!)!