Webigail

Finally! I have completed the easy, no-seams raglan. So, I ask…why did it take 3 weeks?!

Well, let us see:

• I started the sweater
• I ripped, because the neck was too small
• I started over
• I ripped back 3/4 of the way, because the sweater then looked to big
• I knitted and binded off the body
• I ripped, started and then…
• started from the beginning

Whew! I’m tired just from typing. Despite my problems, this really is a very easy sweater, I’m just obsessive about any little impurity that I find. I did find some minor things that I would have loved to fixed, but I forced myself to get it done. After all, it is a birthday gift for my niece, who turns 3 at the end of the month.

Just to ensure that it would fit, I selected a particular model, who is exactly 2 months younger than the recipient of my handy work. I had to Chase the rascal down, wrestle him into the garment and bribe him with an extra slice of pie, before he would even stand still long enough to get the sweater over his head.

When I finally got it on, got him to stand still long enough to snap one picture and then…

He took off running, refusing to take the sweater off…

What’s more fun than knitting? Well, collecting knitting accessories, of course!

Ask any knitter and they will tell you that although, they may not need any more needles or yarn , but who can resist custom stitch markers?

Some are really small and wafer thin:

Hey my sweet, would you be my valentine? Please…pretty, pretty please?

I’m teary-eyed. The raglan has once again, been frogged. I was about three of four rows into the first sleeve when I realized that something was awry. This sweater, intended for a toddler was somewhat deformed! It was too wide and the raglan area was too long. Ok, before anyone starts thinking, “Um…why don’t you just give up knitting sweaters and stick to scarves. Better yet, why not just stop knitting. Period.” I cannot give up.

So, I did the only thing a girl could. I cried. I screamed. I think I even considered digging in my thesaurus for colorful adjectives to interject. Finally, I sucked it all up and cut. I frogged the entire damned sweater AGAIN.

In my defense, this was a huge learning experience. I had already removed my life-line, cause I’ve been knitting for almost three whole months and I think I’m an expert. When I got to the point where things looked properly sized, I paused, pondered and wondered, “Should I try this?”

I geared up, got my tips on the cables and dove in. I put those stitches back on the needles and dared anyone to say anything. That’s right! I’ve got knitting needles and I’m not afraid to use them. After finally getting the stitches back on and patting myself on the back, I spent the rest of the day untangling my yarn. Carla and Martha, not a word outta ya, ya year?

My sweater is actually starting to look like an actual wearable sweater.

As you can see the raglan starting to form and I can now tell where everything is going.

I started a top-down sweater on Sunday. I ripped it about 6 times, before committing to move forward.

So, I finally felt that i was making progress when a knitting guru said, “Are you making that for a teddy bear?”

I must have looked perplexed, as she continued, “I only asked, because you will never get the over anyone’s head.”

I was crushed, because this sweater is meant to be a gift for my soon-to-be3-year-old niece. However, I put my pain and pride aside, frogged the sweater once again. After checking my gauge again, I learned that my gauge shifted from 3.5 stitches per inch to 5 stitches per inch. To make matters worse, I was using #8 needles, when the recommended size was #9. So, after recalculating it seems that I may actually get this sweater done in time for a special birthday party.

It’s almost time for him to leave. I try not to be obvious, but I am secretly desperate for him to head out of the door, so I can head for my favorite place, the local yarn store.

I have only been knitting since November, but already I have plummeted deeper and deeper into the abyss, known as stash. Originally, I wanted to learn to knit as a way fill a void. There are so many home-projects that I started to work on, after leaving my job to be home with our son. Unfortunately, the weather often dictates when I can work on these projects. So, I decided to take up knitting.

It was love at first try. I fell in love with the entire process of knitting, from casting on, to binding off.

But then…I discovered stash development. I scurry into stores, seeking out a luscious color, in alpaca, or a delicious boucle. I hunt out the bargains, with absolutely no project in mind. I have buy dowel rods to make knitting needles, but it’s the yarn, the wool, the merino the calls to me.

I have more yarn, than I have projects. My yarn closet, yes closet, looks like a virtual rainbow, every color exists in this small special space.

Alas, I asked myself the question one day, “Are you a knitter or stasher?”

I have yet to answer this question, but I seem to think that knitting and stashing go hand-in-hand.

We have only one phone outlet in the house, didn’t want to have to run wiring in through out the house, as I’ve been known to change my mind about where I want things, but we needed more than one phone in the house. A friend kept urging us to try Uniden, so, we decided this would be a great time to try the Uniden TRU9480-4.

We decided to buy Uniden TRU9480-(4). Although, I did not know much about Uniden TRU9480-4, I was very impressed with the features that came with this set:

• 5.8Hz
• Expands up to 10 Handsets (this set comes with 4 phones)
• Integrated Digital Answering Machine
• Caller ID
• Call Waiting
• Advanced Phonebook
• DirectLink
• Room/Baby Monitoring
• Speaker phones on Base and Handset
• Intercom system between phones

First, let’s talk about the physical features of the phone. One common complaint about Uniden phones was the fact that the buttons were too small. The friend, who recommended Uniden TRU9480-4 has an older version and the buttons are difficult to press, even for a small hand, such as mine. The handset itself is closer to the size of a cellphone. The new model has larger buttons and the actual handset is larger, making use easier.

The sound of the Uniden TRU9480-4 is crystal clear. I can take my Uniden TRU9480-4 handset far out in the back yard and can still have a great, audible conversation. There is no interference, no crackling, no static, just clear voices. As for using the phone, it’s very intuitive, especially since the average person owns a cellphone, or computer. The Uniden is very easy to use.

Ok, on to the added features. The Uniden TRU9480-4 comes with bells and whistles everywhere, but some are worth more than others. While some may be tickled pink with the ability to assign a ring tone to a specific phone book entry, I’m more impressed with the fact that the phone books can be shared with other handsets. Prior to the Uniden TRU9480, we had a different set that didn’t have shared phone books. It was a nuisance to look for a phone number, only to realize that it was stored on the other handset.

DirectLink turns a pair of your handsets into two-way radios preventing you from receiving or making calls with the active handsets, while the Intercom feature allows you to communicate with another handset without tying up your phone line.

Ultimately, the Uniden TRU9480-4 far exceeds my expectations. I really did not want to spend $99 for house phones, but I have not been disappointed, not in the least.

The Uniden TRU9480-4 earned an easy 5 star rating:

There are some people, who just radiate and beam with creativity. They are just crafty, by nature; everything they do just inspires. I am not one of those people, however, I have a great appreciation for all things creative.