Kat | As Kat Knits

Day One is now over or Button, Button who's got the button.

by Kat | Jan 28, 2008 | General

Homework – done.

Dinner – done.

Laundry – done.

Knitting time – you have got to be kidding me!

Who’d of ever thunk that I’d find myself at the end of a day and not wanting to pick up a knitting needle and while away the time knitting.

That day has arrived, gentle readers.

My brain is officially fried.

Last night I gleefully finished my edited version of Sonnet – Sonnetina. And, then I went to get the buttons to sew them on. And, they were not in my knitting bag….

Okay, maybe they are in the other knitting bag….

I could not find those buttons anywhere.

My vest could not be finished…. Alas, poor Yorick!

Actually-

Alas, poor Wallet!

Yes, I had to stop and purchase 3 more buttons today after school to finish my vest.

But, it is now completed – and I have proof. These buttons are divine – as well they should be as they cost me almost $5 a piece!

Okay – without further adieu – I present to you Sonnetina!

The required “in the mirror self-portrait”…

Note the ~~amazingly expensive~~ glorious buttons. See the little “peplum-ish” added edging – I like how this turned out. I think it will lay flatter when I block it. But I am so wearing this tomorrow! Blocking, be damned!

Again – note the buttons! FIRMLY attached to the vest. There will be no loosing these babies!

And finally – a nice view of the neck – both inside and out. And – one last shot of those AMAZING buttons.

So, I will leave you with the specks of my Sonnetina.

Cast on – Friday January 18, 2008

Finished – Monday January 28, 2008.

Yarn – Now discontinued Classic Elite Gatsby

Needles – Addi 10 1/2 for body of vest.

Addi 13 for applied i-cord.

This is truly the fastest thing I have ever knit and I am so happy with the end result.

Now, I think I hear Bonnie and Clyde calling my name…. stay tuned.

Eureka with an award on top!

by Kat | Jan 27, 2008 | General

Hold the phone, gentle readers, I have success!!

Yes, after much trial and tribulation and a couple of trips to the frog pond – the answer came to me today as I showered.

Here is the test of true knitterly thinking, you cannot stop puzzling over a problem – it swirls and swirls around in your head until the logic of the solution steps up and scrubs your back (figuratively) in the shower early on a Sunday morning.

I have arrived!

My brain is a knitting test ground.

Must be the great company of yesterday – or the great thoughts of an amazing fiber artist (Hello Beth!!)…

Anyway – I have solved the attached i-cord dilema.

Beatifully solved, I might add!

I even have proof… see for yourselves!

Note the seamless attachment. It is truly a thing of wonder!

Here – a bit closer for you to see both the front and back sides… see – no funky ridge from my picked up stitches….

Here is the back side – sorry it is a bit blurry – but as you can see, no funky ridge here either!

So, are you curious, gentle reader, how I accomplished this knitterly feat????

I shall share with you – when I picked up stitches – I just picked up the stitch – no pulling yarn through to “create a new stitch”. I just picked up a portion of the existing stitch of my fabric.

The end result – no funky ridge at all. My applied i-cord is the perfect finish for this vest. I am working on finishing the arm holes. Then all I need to do is sew on buttons – and voila! A completed object! My plan is to wear it to school on day one.

Proof to my ability to figure out a solution to a dilema.

A good way to start – as the amazing Brenda Dayne says – “Start as you mean to go on”… And, Dame Brenda – I most certainly will!

Then, if this was not the best and most amazing thing of the weekend – I got this award from not one, but two amazing bloggers.

I am so honored that I make their day, but truly – they inspire me. So, here is a huge thanks to both The Incomparable Judy at Persistent Illusion and The Brilliant and Talented Susan at A Few Stitches Short (of a full row). These women are truly amazing women. I am humbled by this reward – truly humbled.

And, in my attempt to share the love with others out there… I want to share with you all those bloggers that Make My Day!

Cheryl at A Simple Yarn

Rob at the Black Dog

Jane at By Jane

Matt at the Crowing Ram

Tracey at Extreme Adventures in Knitting and Motherhood

Sarah (I knew her when) at Hand Knitter

Lynne at I was knit together in my mothers womb

Wendy at Knit and the City

Brilliant and Prolific Anne at Knitspot

Marica at Purls Before Swine

Marie at Raggedy Reee

Wanda – The Wanda Woman Knits

Ann at Punkie 53

Elizabeth at Random Snapshots

Kimberly at Woven Spun

Julia The Yarn Maven

The One and Only Yarn Harlot – Stephanie Pearl McPhee

These bloggers inspire me daily in ways that help me daily to be a better person than I was the day before.

If you are not reading their blogs – do so. They may inspire you as well!

Have a blessed evening everyone!

It could become a Habit….

by Kat | Jan 26, 2008 | General

… a Franklin Habit

Yes, that is correct – The Panopticon was at Mecca today doing a photo shoot for his 1000 Knitters Project. And was it busy!!

I pulled in the parking lot shortly after noon and it was packed.

There had to be 500 knitters vehicles in the lot.

So, I parked and made my way inside Mecca got my number and began the wait to knit on the scarf and spend a few minutes with Franklin.

It was so enjoyable – Franklin is brilliant. And, it was his birthday. Even better!

I spent the afternoon knitting with friends. Of course Rob and Matt were there. And, when I was walking around I stumbled into Christy and she led me to Marcia and Sharon and Dirty Sue. With much laughter and general merriment I waited for my number to be called. Before long Ewe-niss and 2 of her lovely daughters showed up. It was an amazing afternoon and before it was over Laurie rounded out the fun!

I cannot think of a better way to spend an afternoon – or with a better group of people!

I even managed to knit a row or two! And, I watched the most amazing, fastest, ENGLISH knitter in all of North America. I think we should have a little Knitting Throw Down… I am telling you. This knitter would whoop the Yarn Harlot (sorry Stephanie) needles down! I am hoping one of you Lansing Knitters will share with me the name of this most agile of knitters! And, in advance, I apologize to this Mystery Knitter for not paying attention when her name was said.

I am headed off to soak in the bathtub and then I am crawling in bed.

Too much excitement for this girl today!!

You want me to sign what?

by Kat | Jan 25, 2008 | General

So, I had orientation for school today and when I left there I headed over to pick up my text book.

Why?

Because I have 5 chapters to read by class time on Monday. Yes – you read that right, 5 chapters!

We can say good bye to knitting this weekend… it was nice while it lasted!!

So, I am now armed with my “scrubs” for my clinicals, a stethoscope and a blood pressure cuff, and my text book. I have gotten as far as rectal temperature taking – I needed a break and my kids did not want me to practice on them!! Even after I reminded them I had done this to them before…

Yes, you can imagine the reaction that got around here!!!!! Ahhh, motherly revenge is so amazing!! The power!!

Well… they deserved a bit of motherly revenge for their behavior and attitudes lately. Teenagers!

There have been many a time when my mind goes back to a lovely presentation that I had the privilege to attend when my children were very small. The speaker was a wise woman with a great amount of sage advice. I remember her talking about a time when her husband was traveling and she had a colicky baby that would not stop crying. In utter desperation, she laid the screaming baby safely in it’s bed and went and laid on her bed, crying herself. The only words she could find to utter were from the Kyrie. Truly simple and beautiful words – Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy. She said when she was at her wits end, these words helped.

I was so fortunate to not have colicky babies – but, I do have teenagers with an advanced case of teenage-itis.

Those words have become my mantra some days!

And, today was one of them!!

Heidi sent me a text message this afternoon – a very interesting text message. “I need to talk to you about signing something. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox” (the number of x’s and o’s sent off warning bells… )

So, she shows up after school with this instruction from her ‘boyfriend’. You need to type something up that says you give permission for me to date him – he turned 18 today.

Silly kids, Heidi is 17 – not 16. Hmmm, the plans they concoct huh?

Needless to say I did not sign anything…. And, Heidi is not speaking to me.

Teenagers – Lord have mercy on me!