In the Pink

I had an unscheduled day off yesterday.  Monday night, Kat turns up with a very gooky eye that was suspiciously pink and by bedtime was running a fever.  No question, we needed the pediatrician.  Unfortunately I couldn't get an appointment until 2:30.  Two cranky toddlers who refused once again to nap.  Alex, who is generally very very good, decided yesterday that he was also a toddler.  He was extremely obstinant and downright surly.  Everything was NO.  It was a lovely day.  By 9:30am I was wishing I'd gone to the office.  Some mother I am.  Diagnosis of pinkeye and I now have to wrestle a 2yo to put eyedrops into both (yup it spread) eyes.  Any bets on when Alex or I come down with it?

Well, you'll be happy to know, I found another yarn for the Byzantine Bazic sweater.  No longer need you fear my knitting a masterpiece in Lion Brand Fisherman's Wool.  I spent some time Monday surfing for 4st/in yarns and came upon an serious option at Webs.  I opted for the Brora Softspun.  The price is definitely right and I like the writeup (and reviews I read on others' blogs).  The FW has already been repurposed as I cast on for a Big Booga Bag last night.  I haven't really been enjoying the shetland scarves as teacher gifts.  I decided that since 3 of the 4 teachers are new this year, I can use the booga bag as a gift again this year, but I'd go for the larger version.  That 4th is a real sweet college girl.  I can either give her the one finished scarf or make her another bag.  We'll see where I am with the bags right before the holidays.  I'm using the FW for the bag and strap (have the doodad that knits up icord for ya!) and will probably use a nice bright patch of Lamb's Pride or similar yarn to make an outside pocket.  I finished the bottom of the first bag this morning and am 5 rows into the 70 that make up the body.  Not to mention this makes a better commuting/ studying new programming language/lunch knitting project as it is almost auto-pilot knitting.  As I've been working with the FW, I'm glad I opted away from it for the sweater.  It isn't next to the skin soft and I don't think I'd have enjoyed wearing it.  Hopefully the Brora Softspun is a better choice.

You can mark one of those three cabley-goodness items off the wishlist.  In a veni, vidi, vici kind of way, I cast on, I knit, I finished the Cozy in Cables Toddler Vest.  I cast on for it Monday night after getting the twins down finally at 9pm.  Ugh.  I really only meant to cast on and return to Twist, but..well... it went so fast and I was enjoying it.  I was 3 inches into the body before I put it down to go to bed.  I finished the darn thing during the twins "after doctor falling asleep in the car" nap.  Sweet.  Took just under 3 skeins of the Aurora Bulky from Karabella.  I still have three more in stash.  Super quick knit, but I discovered that I ain't so good at keeping to a pattern (that seed stitch is my downfall all the time) while dealing with tired and cranky toddlers!  I got the little man to model the thing last night before bed.  It still needs a good blocking, and naturally he wouldn't normally wear it over a big t-shirt.  I'm very pleased with it and would highly recommend this pattern.  Project details here.

Now there was something else I wanted to blog but just can't remember what it is.  I have a lousy short term memory.  Oh yeah, I've gotten a number of requests as to whether I was going to share the pattern for the lace handwarmers.  First, thank you, I'm flattered.  I do have a problem though.  I need to write it up to start with.  But bigger problem than that is that I have very tiny hands.  My ring finger is a size 3.  Adult sized gloves just don't fit so these are designed to be tiny.  Even more problematic is that the lace pattern is set for 14 stitches.  I would think that adding a whole repeat to my tiny sized gloves would make something very huge for regular sized people.. though maybe not.  I might have to give it a test knit (or is there someone who'd like to volunteer to test knit with the cobweb with one additional stitch repeat?).

I'm off to play with .NET and C# as I have a new learning project with real world application.  Woot.  The slow time of the year might not be quite as boring as it was last year.

Craft on!

Comments

[Jill]

Love A's vest...he's so adorable in it. Good luck with the pinkeye, it's no fun, I know. You may need a warm washcloth in the morning to help the "gunk" go away. Hope you get some sleep tonight and that the little ones both feel ok tomorrow.

[Juno]

I've been trying to thing of an excuse to get some of that Softspun....and I'm so glad you found an alternative to the fisherman's wool.

[Lisa]

Pink eye is no fun. I remember chasing a screaming 4 year old around trying to get the ointment in her eyes. I hope you have better luck than I!

Glad to hear the vest is a fast knit - I was looking at it for charity knitting. It would also be a good use of stash. Alex looks adorable in it.

[Nancy]

Having been down the pink eye road far too many times I will give you my best advice to avoid it spreading, change the kids pillowcases everynight for a couple of days. It really makes a difference.

[Chris]

Good luck with that nasty pinkeye stuff - I'll keep fingers crossed that it doesn't spread to you and Alex.

So, would the pattern fit bigger hands if you use a slightly bigger yarn and slightly bigger needles? Absolutely no experience with that kind of thing, so if that's a really dumb thought - sorry! :)

[Kellee]

Pink eye - yucky!

Brora softspun? NOT yucky! Love, love, love this stuff. I have two different colors of this in my stash, and am in the middle of a sweater for the husband in one of them. I'll tell you, for the sake of full disclosure, that I don't really like knitting with it very much because it's still full of spinning oils and is wound REALLY tightly on the cone, so it's not very forgiving in the knitting process. Just be careful of the wrists during all of that cabling. It's SO worth it though because once it's washed...man alive is it soft and yummy! I can't wait to see this sweater and yarn paired up.