As the Tummy Turns..

Well, the band party was a busy affair with lots of people milling about. I can get really stressed out doing that sort of thing, but I managed.

I got my car on Sunday, which was a good thing--except for one thing--it was so darn cold that my hands were just frozen to the tips! Made it difficult to do any knitting in my class, but I dutifully learned my stitches, and was happy when I started working on the sleeve when I got home. Working 2 handed fair isle isn't as hard as I thought it would be. Making the sweater, however, is probably going to kill me. Even so, I'm looking forward to the next session, and pretty sure that I'll have the assignment done in plenty of time.

The teacher brought in her next knitting fashion--a double knitted hat--and told me how she cast on and how it's knitted, and how it's, yes, it's reversible. Outside it's pink with white flowers, inside, it's white with pink flowers, and it's just as cute as a bug.

I signed up for that class too.

The only problem with the entire day was that it was so shockingly cold, and silly me, I forgot my mittens in Ray's car (which we had to drive to Grand Rapids because mine was being fixed), so I had no hand covering. My hands actually hurt while pumping gas...

WORD OF WARNING, YOU LADIES OUT THERE WHO DON'T KNOW BETTER---

Do not allow your car to get low on gas repeatedly. I understand it's very hard on the fuel pump. I know gas is this ridiculous $3 a gallon, but keep it running on a full tank, and you likely won't run into the trouble that I had!

So I knit on my sweater sleeve..and here are the results:

I made the picture bigger because I wanted to show off the detail. I've already made several mistakes, and like the teacher said "it isn't going to matter". The piece is lovely. I just have to remember to make the same mistakes on the other sleeve, and I'll be just fine. I'm thrilled. Now I'll be able to do almost anything I see in the stores...just take some notes and take them home!

Today, I have a doctor's appointment in the morning hours--I'll leave the house about 10am. I've got a few hours I can knit. Then later today, I have my Spin Night. Ray is supposed to bring my mittens down so I can keep the cold off my hands, and we might go see my hubby's family today. I'm taking knitting, naturally, but don't know if I want to take the fair isle project, which is quite cumbersome--or I can take hubby's socks. I've got to decrease another 4 stitches on the foot, as the socks are feeling "loose". His words were "none too tight". I've decided to do an afterthought heel instead of a short row heel, because the patterning on the socks isn't what I'd hoped it would be--there is absolutely NO pooling on this sock! Hard to believe from a handye!

So unfortunately, I'm not too impressed with this pair of socks--they are plain ordinary vanilla socks, so they really needed to see some "pooling" for intrigue--now, without the pooling, they are just ordinary vanilla socks. BORING!

Tarot Card for the Day is the Three of Wands, which says that I've laid a very good foundation, and that the next steps will take a lot of hard work and creative energy (I think it's talking about my fair isle!) It says: Be flexible and open to change, because down the road it may become necessary to modify or improve the original idea--this will challenge you and stretch your skills more than you ever thought possible. Giggle. I've already changed around the coloring a little. Maybe I'll play with it MORE!

Well, I have to post my sleeve for the Fair Isle Sweater to my Ravelry account, so I'll take off for now--