Side Tracked

As the early morning light hit my eyes this morning, I took a moment to realize that summer is finally here.  The time of year so many look forward too.  The warm weather and barbecues, no school and vacations.  

As I convinced myself that it was time to get up, I feel anxiety that the time is just slipping past me in a never ending carousel ride.  I feel like it was just yesterday that I waxed poetically about spring peaking out through the dirges of winter.  

Spring Tulips

The green of the foliage has since changed from the promise of yellow, through the life affirming green into the stressful brown.  The heat of summer is upon us finally.  Do I pay attention to the song birds or am I more concerned with the hum of the air conditioning kicking in?

I admit that my favorite seasons are spring and fall.  The sunshine is a welcome accompaniment and change from the grey skies of winter and the scorching heat of summer.  I long for the colors that are only visible in spring and fall.  But in this heat of summer, I am trying to find the silver lining through it all.  We long for this time in the dead of winter and yet it's easy think toward the cooler weather in our future.  

Instead I try to find relief and in turn realize that it's not so bad.  This week even I realized that if there is a breeze no matter how hot, the heat isn't so bad.  And with the breeze there is a longing for blue waters and sand between my toes.

Miami Beach - May 2007

How is it that when we are on vacation, we can endure the heat?  We long for it and bask in the scorching sun and run into the blue waters?  Maybe it's the change in scenery, maybe it's a chance to escape our lives back home for a short time, maybe it's just vacation and you shouldn't question it.

I don't think I will get to see the beach this summer but I am having cravings for the humid sea air and the call of gulls.  I loved sleeping to the sounds of the ocean and waking up early to watch the sunrise with my mom on the porch.

But perhaps that is my dilemma, I miss my mother everyday.  Some days, it's a fond memory.  Other days it's an overwhelming desire to talk to her and the subsequent frustration and tears that I can no longer hear the sound of her voice.  Or maybe it's days like today where I stop to reflect and wonder how I made it almost 8 months without her.  Where has the time really gone?

I remember after she died that the days and weeks seemed endless.  Now the days have once again sped up to light speed.  I truly have no clue where May went and now that my birthday has come and gone, what happened to June?  Before I know it, will fall be upon me?  Will I be excited about school supplies and going back to grad school?  

Everything changes.  If I didn't get it before, I definitely get it now.  I work hard everyday to not wish the time away.  To cherish the sunrise and sunset and make the most of each day.  Because if I don't the days will just pass by me and who would want that to happen.

Iguazu Falls, Brazil - May, 2007

<3 Heather

WIP Wednesday - Seams and Cuffs

Hello again! I don't know where the weeks are going but here we are 1 day away from the start of summer and 2 days away from my Birthday and I haven't determined how I feel about that.

I don't know where my 20's are going but they sure are flying.  I remember that I couldn't wait to be 10 and in double digits and the wait to 16, 18 and 21 were annoying.  Now 30 is knocking on my door and it's scary.

Then of course this is the first birthday without my mom.  She would call me right at the minute that I was born every year to wish me a happy birthday.  It makes me smile just thinking about it.  My dad is taking me to dinner this weekend but it's hard without my mom.

Well then, enough of this melancholia it's WIP Wednesday and I have progress to show you!

LEGO Block Blanket

I made marked progress on the LEGO blanket.  I only have 1.5 seams left and just couldn't get to it last night to finish it up for today.  I want to get this done soon so it's not looming over my head, though I need to go back and swatch and test wash to make sure the colors don't run.  I like to wash baby blankets one time before I gift them and I don't want to destroy the colors and white borders.

Everything is really squaring up with the vertical seams

Diagonal Lace Socks

For the most part, the sock part of the first sock is done.  I am just working the pattern on the leg/cuff.  I really think 2 more pattern repeats will be enough.

The color got washed out in the picture.

They really are yellow but the color is washed out in the picture.  I didn't realize that the image was wrong until I uploaded it.  I will try and take another picture later on tonight and replace this one.

I do like that you can see that there is variation in the sock that isn't apparent on the image below.

This is closer to the real color

White Centered Granny Square Blanket

I picked these up again because I was a bit annoyed with the Diagonal Lace Socks and the heel.  (I am not to proficient at wrap and turns)  Anyway, I wanted to see how the edging looked on the squares and started to putz with the join method.  

I think the edging looks great and I like the whip stitch through the back look of the edging to join them.  What do you think.

I also did most of the end weaving too.

So I think I had a pretty productive week, how about you?  For other WIPs check out Tami's Amis and Frontier Dreams

<3 Heather

Finished Object Friday - Aquaman Square

Hello there! I finished the Aquaman Square at the end of May but didn't get to post until now.  The whole premise of super hero squares  for a blanket came about because I was watching an old episode of The Big Bang Theory TV show.

On the The Justice League Recombination (Episode 4.11) the gang go to a New Year''s Eve party at their local comic book store dressed as the Justice League of America.

So with the idea in mind, I checked the existing patterns and found a few that I could use (Batman and Superman) but needed patterns for Aquaman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, and the Green Lantern. With Excel at the ready, I started to design some squares that would make a blanket.

I started with Aquaman because the lines were pretty straight forward.

Image from DC Comics, Aquaman Archive

I used the above image as inspiration for my square and even had the design vetted by my own local comic book store (Big Bang Comics and Collectibles)!

So now for the reveal!

Outrageous!

So what do you think? I hope to publish the charts when I (and my wonderful test knitters) are done with the first rounds to make sure the chart turns out the way I expect.

Check out more Finished Objects at Tami's Amis!

<3 Heather

Details:

Patten - My own (If you are interested in testing send me an email)
Needles - Size 7/4.5 mm with 24 inch cables
Yarn -  Comfort Solids & Heathers, in Liquorice, Kidz Orange, Primary Yellow and  Adirondack 
Duration - 1 Week
Size - 60 stitches by 60 stitches
Gauge - 5 stitches per inch

WIP Wednesday - Light at the End of the Tunnel

Hello everyone!  It has been a busy week both at work and in craft.  I can't believe how nice it is to be back on daylight.  I had a bit of a blip this week cause I couldn't sleep Sunday night and as a result worked from home on Monday.

Now for the update!

LEGO Block Blanket

I got all of the blocks DONE and the Horizontal Joins are all DONE!!!!  (And the peasants rejoice!)  This is a serious accomplishment and now to do the rest of the seams and get the border done.

Diagonal Lace Socks

The socks are coming along and I started the gusset.  I am really annoyed because I wanted to get 1 sock done last week but I keep working on them.

Overall the progress is pretty substantial and I can't wait to finish since I see the light at the end of the tunnel for both of these projects.

So I think I had a pretty productive week, how about you?  For other WIPs check out Tami's Amis and Frontier Dreams

<3 Heather

Congratulations LA Kings!

Congratulations to the LA Kings organization on winning the Stanley Cup.  I was so excited to watch the amazing run your team has had during the playoffs.  Really anything can happen, because it's the cup!

Logo From Wikipedia

You all may know that I love hockey and to see a franchise win that has been competitive in the past but had never won before was really exciting.  In general, I felt like this playoff season was a David vs Goliath story and 2 Davids made it to the Cup finals.

Check some photos on Yahoo!  Really how happy do they look?  They may not be my Pens, but I cried when they first got to touch the cup.  As a fan, you follow the highs and lows of the season.  The intensity of the playoffs and finally the nail biting of the final series.  It's a wild ride and LA welcome to the club.

Plus it doesn't hurt that 2 of the players the Flyers traded to win a cup won a cup without the Flyers.  Karma it's a bitch!

<3 Heather

WIP Wednesday - It’s a sunshine DAY!

GOOD MORNING!  You have no idea how excited I am to be back working during the day.  Even when that  day starts at 7 AM.  Thankfully summer is practically upon us and waking up with sun isn't a chore.  I was supposed to work the swing shift this week (3p - 11p) but it got switched over the weekend.  As far as I know, I will be back on daylight for the duration, so keep your fingers crossed.

Now for the update, here is what I have done this week.

Progress Pic for 6/6/2012

There are 3 projects on the table, Diagonal Lace Socks, LEGO Blanket and White Centered Granny Square Blanket

I started the Diagonal Lace Socks on 6/1/2012 for Nerd Wars.

Nerd Wars is a ravelry group that divides members into teams and provides 6 categories a month for 3 months.  You gain points for completed projects that meet the challenge theme and that have a tie into to your team.  Of course all of the teams are based on nerdy culture!  I am on Team Bazinga which celebrates all that is awesome about The Big Bang Theory tv show.

I am working with a ton of yellow this week...

Anyway, this sock is using the Diagonal Lace Sock Pattern from Wendy D. Johnson and Candy Skein Yarn in Banana  I think the pattern looks like shooting stars which will help me satisfy the Scientific challenge.  What do you think?

The LEGO blanket is coming along.  I have 5 more blocks done and joined another row to the blanket.

The view from the back of the blanket.  I love this view too!

For the White Centered Granny Squares, I finished the blue skein and got 7 squares out of that and started the orange skein.  I really like how the colors are working together.  Debbie Bliss just has great yarn.

I think the Orange is my favorite so far...

So I think I had a pretty productive week, how about you?  For other WIPs check out Tami's Amis and Frontier Dreams

<3 Heather

Why aren't there any blogs about Rainbows?

Good morning everyone!  I am back on the daylight shift, but wanted to share with you some pictures I captured on my phone yesterday.

RAINBOWS!!!!  I saw a full rainbow and half of a second rainbow.  You could see all of the colors at the spectrum.  I had a good weekend but this just made everything better!  Hope you all have a good week

<3 Heather

2012 - May Recap

My oh my, what a month.  I didn't post as much as I would have liked.  The good news is that I am back to working regular times and will have a better hand on what day it is.  While I didn't post a ton,  I did manage to get some good work done on the night shift.

I didn't get the LEGO blanket done but I did get a lot of work done on it and am in the home stretch.  I got a lot of the squares done from my Debbie Bliss Blanket and finished the Spring Ahead Blanket.  All in all I am happy with the result

<3 Heather

Finished Object Friday - Cables and Blankets

So I have had this object done since the end of April but really haven't had a chance to blog about it or the resultant blanket I finished so now that I have some time I can share it with you.

My first project with cables

I had a desire to try cables to see how hard they were.  I started working on the Cables and Lace Afghan Square 8 in a cotton yarn but really hate knitting with cotton so I switched to some acrylic I had in my stash.  After finishing the square itself, I started to widened it so that it could be 12"x12" and fit in with the squares I received from a swap in which I participated.

Square project details can be found here:

Needles - US 7/4.5 mm
Hook - F/5 mm
Yarn - Vanna's Choice Yarn - Lime, Lamb, Eggplant, and Kelly
Duration - About 3 Weeks
Pattern - Cables and Lace Afghan Square 8

Here is a picture of the blanket put together.

Spring Ahead Swap Blanket

I finished the edges this week but it really came together.  For information about who made all of the different squares check out the project page

Blanket Seams detail:

Hook - I/5.5 mm
Yarn - Vanna's Choice Yarn - Lime, Kelly
Duration - About 2 Weeks
Join Method - Half-Double Stitched Together

Check out more Finished Objects at Tami's Amis!

<3 Heather