Monkey see....monkey do?

So I took my friend Jessie's advice and decided to make the Monkey socks from Knitty 2006. They are going well so far. I took some pics of the awesome yarn she gave me for Christmas and then the progress of the socks. I also took a better pic of the dishcloth.

Now I am off to the grind at AA.
Eileen

First FO 2009

So here is the first finished object of 2009 the end of the month dishcloth for Dec 2008. It is from my dishcloth KAL.

Also here are the socks I knit for Len a couple months ago.

My flash sucks but it's almost Midnight so it's the best I could do at the last minute.

Eileen

Happy New Year...2008 in review

Well it is 2009 and I am ready to blog again. Here is what happened last year while I was gone.

• I passed probation at American Airlines


• I knit an Alphabet Blanket, 2 shawls, some socks, some scarfs, a neck cowl and several dishcloths.


• I started an aran blanket, worked more on my lace shawl, started and ended (without finishing) a horribly written pattern for thigh highs, and learned several new knitting techniques.
  

This year I plan on making socks for my entire fam for Christmas. If I calculated right that is 28 pairs give or take a few. Am I crazy? Apparently so, but I feel I am up to the challenge. I just need to get everyone's shoe size.

Here are pics of some of my projects. I'll post more as I get them.

More tomorrow.

Eileen

A new beginning

Well, I've finally decided to start my shawl anew. Here's hoping it goes well. I am using new needles this time. They are knit picks harmony size 5 interchangeable. The tightening rod hole make adding a life line a breeze. Everything seems to be going much smoother this time. The needles and the yarn love each other. It is very impressive. I'll let you know how it goes! Wish me luck LOL.

Eileen

PS Thanks Jess for the needle recommendation. As usual you were right!

Feeling so far behind

div>Well, I didn't keep my promise. I'm usually better at doing things I promise than I have been lately. Time has just been zooming by so quickly that I sneeze and 3 weeks have gone by. It is nuts. So things at work have been going well. I've had a few encounters of the celebrity kind, though I'm not naming names b/c I think perhaps that is an invasion of privacy. I really like my job and hope that I'm not included in the future layoffs that will be happening over the next several months. So lets keep our fingers crossed.

On the knitting side, I have been knitting up a storm. I haven't taken pics of everything though I probably should have, but here is a sample of the things I have made recently.

Hand warmers I made for Janine. My instructor Debi liked them so much she has asked me to make her a pair as well.

A close-up of the diamond.

Janine modeling them at work.

And Janine's purse. I coveted it everyday until she went home. I miss you Louis!!!
The next several pics are of a set of dishcloths I made for my friend and former instructor Rosemary.


Yes even these are dishcloths.

Everyone together now!

Well, I am finishing up my other hand warmers. I have knit a couple other dishcloths, and need to get started on my friends baby blanket. Goodness, so much to do so little time. Here's hoping it's not forever until you hear from me again. Next time I'll tell you about my trip to the Desert Museum. It was a blast.

Eileen

PS Go David Cook! I'm so glad you are the American Idol!!!!

The veil of grief has lifted

Well, I am finally getting to a place where I can breath again. After my shawl died, training became a whirlwind of MD-80 cancellations, being thrust onto the phone during the "crisis" and trying to keep my head above water.

I am now into day 2 of my new 3 days off a week pattern. I think this will work fine for me. I work 4pm-12:30am Fri-Mon and am off Tues, Wed, and Thurs. I feel I have told this story before but I may be repeating it for my own sanity LOL!

I totally lost it on our graduation day. I felt totally unprepared to be thrust into the vast sea that is Domestic Sales at American Airlines. You may think making a reservation is easy (especially if you've done it online) but you have no idea what goes on behind the scenes. So next time you are on the phone making a reservation for anything. Make sure you have at least 5 min to devote to the call and be kind to the person on the other end. They are doing everything they can to make you happy for as low a price as possible. Oh, and if you are making a change to something. Have 15 min to spend and be super kind b/c that is a whole other world of hurt being rained down on your representative. :) (Not that I am biased or anything).

Well enough of that dribble and on to knitting things. Well, I finished the April-May Lace Arm warmers for Nassau. They were a little big on her but they will work. I used Lion's Brand Micro spun that I got from Jess.

--Jess, I love you and I appreciate anything you give me but that yarn is a *itch to knit with. It knotted more times than I care to discuss and the middle was so jacked up that I ended up having to throw away 1/2 the ball and start with a new skein. I'm not sure if that happened because it wasn't wrapped in the label and unwound and got crazy or what but I cursed you a thousand times and am only a little sorry about it. Next time you give away yarn and it's all a mess do like they used to say at Blockbuster. "Be kind, Rewind." Love bunches, Eileen--

The yarn was a little diva-ish but the product came out beautifully. One of my other co-workers Janine and one of my teachers Debbi want a pair now. So I am going to knit them up for them. I don't mind b/c they are my friends and I can get both pairs out of one skein. However, other classmates who have never really talked to me before want me to make them some, and in different colors. I am thinking "I don't think so, not even when you don't offer to at least pitch in for yarn." I enjoy knitting "gifts" but it's not a gift if you ask for it and then demand all sorts of exceptions for your item. Am I alone in this? I hope not.

Currently I will be getting caught up on my April mid-month dishcloth KAL, doing those "gloves" and finally starting on Allysia's present for the baby shower. I can't wait until I feel confident enough at work that I can knit while taking calls. Currently I am reading and every time I pick up my book another call comes in. It never fails LOL!

In closing, I want to say thank you to those of you who have been patient and willing to keep my blog in your list of ones to read even though I have been AWOL. Hopefully you'll get 2-3 if not more posting a week and then as thing progress and I get batteries for my camera even more.

Love to all,

Eileen AKA Purling kitty

A Moment of Silence

Hello. I am saddened to report that a knitting death has occurred. My beloved Mystery Shawl has gone to that big yarn ball in the sky. I was mid way through my 3rd clue when all of a sudden I saw that a stitch in the row below had snapped and unraveled past the life line and down into oblivion. It would have been one thing if the break had happened in the stockinette portion of my shawl but alas it happened right in the middle of the y/o's and decreases that make up the awesome lace.

Funeral service have been declined though a memorial will be held Sunday night @ 6PM MST. Your thoughts and well wishes are appreciated. In lieu of flowers it is requested that each mourner find their most difficult completed knitted project and hug it and thank it for not self destructing during the creation process. Please respect this knitters privacy at this time and be patient while she struggles to find the will to remove the deceased from her needles and begin her lace attempt again.

Current pics will not be displayed due to the graphic nature of the event. Instead here is a look back at the shawl that never was (but may be again).

In Memoriam