In Over My Head?

Princess my love...
The good news:
I got through the 3rd Border Chart & am ready to do the Laurel Leaf pattern.

The headache:

How to continue the edging around the 90* corner and make it look worthy.

There's been a lot of chatter & worry. The consensus is to short row it. (In Ravelry)

Boy, am I glad now that I'm using wool. I have faith in wool & it's forgiving nature. I'm sure it will gracefully curve around that corner. WOW! Thanks again to you all for encouraging me to just continue on with the merino. I love you!

The intimidation:

The members of the Princess Group in Ravelry are very accomplished and able to think outside the pattern.

I'm not.

One person did a provisional cast on & started knitting the border & will do the edging continually around at the end. She's brilliant. I wish I had thought of that! Next time, that's the way I'm doing it, especially if I'm not using pure wool.

After all, we want it to look fabulous after all the hours of concentration... every stitch counts.

The Queen

The good news:

After 13 days of waiting & convincing myself that she's lost & never arriving.... The Queen has made her appearance. I did my celebratory happy dance!

It's separate pages, not a booklet, which is great! I don't need to make copies of the charts. It came with samples of Cashsilk, Shetland Supreme & Gossamer Merino. That blue/gray cone is 2/48 cashmere/silk from Colourmart that I'm thinking of using. It's the same ratio of cashmere (70) to silk (30) as the Cashsilk, but slightly thicker... same weight as the Gossamer Merino (2/48) I'm using for the Princess.

The headache:

The Goddess says that you can complete it in 5 months... at 2 hours per night. HAH! That's so funny! She's a fast knitter. I'm not.

The Queen is made in 5 pieces - 4 borders + center. The Goddess says it took her 10 hours to 'finish/make up/sew' it all together. I hate sewing pieces together! (That's why I love Fair Isle! NO sewing!) UGH! At this point, I laid on the floor & sulked.

While lying there I thought, "Why can't I just knit the bottom border & continue knitting the center... while attaching the left & right border... the same way I have to do the Princess center... that way I just have to sew in the top border & the 45* angles where the borders join?"

I couldn't think of a reason why I couldn't do it that way... but I'm NO EXPERT!

I logged into Ravelry & guess what?! One of the members mentioned that she was going to do it that way too!! But, she's going to do the edging all the way around at the end. I think that doing it as written will be okay, because it's only a 45* angle to curve around & sew up.

I did my celebratory happy dance! I'm learning to think outside the pattern! And someone very experienced thought of the same method! OH HAPPY DAY!

I'm going to use 2mm needles & either the 2 blue/gray cones I have, or I'll order the Cashsilk... not sure what color... kinda liking the viola... the frost blue is pretty too.

Stitch Markers

I use jump rings as stitch markers & was getting frustrated because the gossamer merino was getting caught in the jagged joins. Just what I don't need! Cut yarn! I've noticed that people sell them with beads on the joins & thought, "Hey! I can make those!" so I did. They work great.

Meanwhile in Kamati & Smoothie's world...

"Hey Kamati, whatcha doing?"

"Ssshhh! I'm just looking! Mom said there's going to be gold hearts on the American Beauty Shawl. I don't see them in here..."

"Mom's gonna be mad! You KNOW how she feels about 'if it's NOT yours, DON'T touch it!!!"

"Shut UP! Use your indoor voice! lalaladeedahhh"

"KAMATI! ARE YOU GETTING NOSE JUICE ON MOM'S SHAWL??!!

Wooly caught them in the act & took this photo as evidence. I didn't find any nose juice, no harm... no foul.

The last chart for American Beauty is coming April 1st, so we get a mini break.

Until next time... Knit on!

And take time to celebrate! :)

You can't always get what you want...

But if you try sometimes you just might find...
You get what you need, ah yes!

What a difference pin blocking makes!

I told Wooly I was going to start over... He said what Carolyn said, "You NEED to listen to Laritza... she won blue ribbons for her lace knitting...!" Laritza told me to just keep going & save my blue yarn for another lace project... there are plenty out there... She's very close to finishing her Princess.

Carolyn is no stranger to blue ribbons... she won them for her fair isle knitting.

I noticed that the photo made it look better than in real life & decided to take another picture on a dark background & carefully pin block it.

Looks like I got some 'feathers' & crowns... looks like a Princess to me!

Thanks to everyone (love you all!) for talking to me about this... I'm my own worst enemy.
Sanity has returned to the Land of Miyamojo. Love has returned for my Princess.

After I made that decision... I discovered that The Queen was released! She's beautiful! I ordered it immediately! Now I really want to finish The Princess!

Meanwhile, in Mr K's World...

"Umm, Aunty, I'm eating this really yummy ice cream sandwich for you... um... yummm... for your birthday... ummmm... it has chocolate ice cream & umm... chocolate cookie... yummmy... ohhh chocolate... yummmm... tell Uncle Wooly to get you one of these! You need to eat if fast... yummm... cuz it will melt on your hands... ummmm...Corey doesn't get any... ummm... cuz he's not a big boy...yummmy!"

"Hi! Corey here! I'm busy lying here, growing as fast as I can, so I can eat an ice cream sandwich for your birthday too..."

"Corey, I found your hat from Aunty..."

"Here... let me put it on you..."

"Get away! I'm talking now! Stop smashing my head! Big Brother! Where are my hands?!"

"Fine! I'll wear it!"

"You'll be sorry!"

"Oy! What?!"

"It doesn't fit me... boooo... I don't wanna be a big boy!"

In my defense... I offered to make a big boy one for Mr K!

Both his Mom & Dad told me not to, because he doesn't like hats!

WTF?!?!?!!

UGH!!!!

So sing with me...

"You can't always get what you want (no, no baby)

You can't always get what you want

You can't always get what you want

But if you try sometimes you just might find

You just might find

You get what you need, ah yes.. "

Have a great week! :)

Live in the Present

My birthday was last Sunday (3/1)...
Mr K sent me this...

What a cutie! Someone got his haircut! Such a heartbreaker!

Mr C sent me this...

Yeah, my birthday was kinda sucky. At least he wasn't giving me the 'bird!'
Wait for that next year. ;)

In the Bag

So, since this is my birthday post, I'm going to talk about some of my favorite things.

"Live all your dreams in the present"

"What's in the bag Mom?!"

No, you don't have to send the kids away... it's not that exciting...

"Kamati has to stay away! No hoofs or horns!"

No, it's not cheese, but I am going to whine about it.

If I had to choose one type of knitting that's my absolute favorite... it would be Heirloom Knitting. As you remember, I'm definitely cursed.

This is my gossamer merino Princess Shawl. I've only been working on it for over a year and am through row 150 (each row has 860+ stitches) & ready to start the 3rd border chart.

In my defense, when I first started this, I wasn't thrilled about knitting it in white and wanted some silk in it. But, there were few choices, and I didn't want to use Cashsilk because it's too fine - just call it thread.

Well, now, I'm thinking about starting over... (WHAT?!) because I found some 2/48 cashmere/silk in light blue. I don't like the way the merino is looking. I'm waiting for it to arrive so I can swatch and make a final decision. You know blue is my favorite color... and this is a 'before I die' project, and with how much time is invested in this, I might as well love it, right?!

"What's in the shiny bag Mom?"

Another one of my favorite things is Coach purses.

I'm definitely still a tomboy, and never carried a purse until last year when I purchased by first Coach leather purse. I got some birthday money & decided it was time to dethrone the "Queen of Self Deprivation" once and for all. After all, unless you spend it right away on yourself, you end up using it to pay bills, right?!

"Follow the White Rabbit...! We're in the Matrix, right?!"

This pink & silver purse was screaming at me & jumping up & down. I couldn't walk away from it or the white rabbit with the cute fluffy tail. I absolutely love it... and tickled pink! LOL!

When I got it home, I realized that I broke every rule I have about purses... (has to be leather, classic shape & color, in other words - boring.) Ask me if I care!!! I'm living in the present!

Clap your hands... this is huge for me! :)

American Beauty

I didn't get any roses or flowers for my birthday, but I did knit a few.
This is chart B2... now we have 3 roses on each side of the triangular shawl and lots of shiny beads.

One of Wooly's bagpiper friends came over on my birthday. He didn't bring me cake or flowers or gifts or CAKE... so, I almost threw him out. ;) But, he didn't know & came to visit Wooly. I managed to reluctantly put on a bra & shirt, but stayed in my pajama pants. I asked if he wanted something to drink or a sandwich, he told me to "just keep knitting... Wooly is taking care of that." What a Prince!

Finally

Remember last year I wanted Luskentyre for my birthday, but they were sold out?

"ooohhhhh pretty!"

I finally got her! I was worried about the Whin & Golden Clover colors, but I think they're strong enough tones to look good on me (Right Lorraine?) Remember! TOMBOY! That's why everything in my closet is BLUE!

What's revealing is that these are the kits I have... Luskentyre, Abalone & Marina.

Do you see a pattern here? Remember, it's my birthday, so I'm also a Pisces...

All water themes... of the sea... sea shells... my name is Michele... get it?! Weird!

My buddy Bev tagged me for an incredibly long meme. Even though she worships the ground I walk on (her words, not mine... really!) It's my birthday! So I'm passing on it. I couldn't answer any of the questions without being sarcastic. Anyways, I think this post reveals a lot more about me.

So, sing with me... "I just want to CELEBRATE one more day of LIVING! I just want to CELEBRATE one more year of LIFE!" :D

Live in the Present!