The Nine Day Afghan-Completed

So, the Nine Day Afghan took 20 days to complete!
It's not yet blocked and it's already huge!

This was done with Caron By the Pound and Herschnerr's worsted weight yarn. It's done in strips with stockinette stitch - which is why it will have to be blocked, the end strips still have the stockinette roll.

The pattern did not call for it, but I placed a 4 stitch selvedge edge on either end of each strip to keep the roll to a minimum. The pattern also calls for nine strips, but I stopped at 7 because the selvedge edge added enough inches that adding the last two strips would have made in cumbersome, but they can certainly be added if you want the bulk and the size.

Like I said, worsted weight yarn on size 9 needles
Select 5 colors a,b,c,d,e (there's more than 5 in my afghan because for the 'e' colors, i used different ones)

Select one color as your main color - it will be used the most. For this afghan, I used all of two skeins (which for Caron by the pound is about 1700 yards)

Narrow strips are 22 stitches (with 4 on either side as selvedge) starting with a contrast color, knit 16 rows, with the main color knit 58 rows. There are nine blocks of color. So you will start with a contrast and end with a contrast.

The wide strips are 52 stitches (with 4 on either side as selvedge) start with the main color for 16 rows and the contrast color knit 58 rows.

When you've done as many strips as you want, then with the main color, do a crocheted edge (either one, two or three rounds)

Block.

It's Baseball Season Again!! - GO CUBS!

OK - I know I'm going to heaven. I know because I am a CUBS fan and we have suffered more than Job. We have waited for 100 years for a World Series victory - yes, I know I am not nearly 100 years old and I will probably never be - but a Cubs fan's angst is retroactive. Even if the fan is only five years old, they've been waiting all 100 years.

It seems we are standing in front of fate. We made it to the playoffs last year just to be swept by the Diamondbacks. But everyone in the post season was swept except for the World Series winners, so we don't feel as embarrassed as we would have if we were the only one to feel the broom on our butts.

So, this year we are looking at Kosuke Fukudome to be the spark and I am always in love with Derek Lee (even though we disagree on the Democratic nominee for president) and I expect him to be his uber professional self on the field, and I am always rooting for Kerry Wood because he's just such a great guy. I look forward with anticipation that we will knock fate on its behind and take home the crown this season.

Heaven can wait.

Spizzico Pizzeria in Elmwood Park, IL

Ok, so I'm taking a break from the Nine Day Afghan which is going to take way more than nine days, and writing two press releases from a client, to give a review of Spizzico's Pizzeria.
Hubby and I went there two weeks ago and it's taken me that long to figure out what to say.

I've sat in movies theatres and watched ads for this place come up on screen, I've read the reviews on line and I practically had to push the hubby to come to this place. A few years back, we went out to a movie with friends and I wanted to go here and they opted for the pizza place a few doors down...finally, I got my wish.

I suppose I will come back and try the pizza since that's what's getting the good reviews and I will say they had some generous portions, but I have to say, there was nothing spectacular about the place....except a lot of police officers eat there. We were surrounded by men (and women) in blue, and the counter staff seemed to know them by name so I guess we won't have to worry about people misbehaving. So, it's safe to eat there.

I had the aglio & olio with pasta with a side of italian sausage. Hubby had a pasta dish that I can't even remember. I tasted it and thought the 'sauce' tasted a little like something made with mayo. Which, I'm not sure, but I don't think it should be in a pasta sauce.

We ordered a dinner salad that had dried fruits, nuts, and greens and that was very good. But everything else was just regular tasting.

Like I said, we usually give places two tries before we banish them from our list so they will get another shot, but it won't be for any of the entrees. We'll go for what they're known for: the pizza. Maybe we'll like it better.

Nine Day Afghan - Day 5

OK, so two strips are done and they are sewn together! The third strip has yet to be started. I do not believe I will have this afghan done in 9 days.
But I must admit, I do like it better than the first one I made. Those original strips are slowly making their way into the new strips. I am using a combination of Caron By the Pound and Herrschner's worsted weight yarn (which I am beginning to like quite well!)

Hey, if you're in the Oak Park area in May, keep a watch for the Sit-N-Knit at Pleasant Home. Right now, it's in the planning stages but it appears as if it will be a great time. The idea is to have as many knitters as we can safely get in the building and on the grounds to knit preemie hats and booties, simple baby blankets, and scarves and hat for children to adults. We want to distribute them to area hospitals, and organizations helping teen mothers and the homeless.

As I said, we've just started planning it - but we hope to be able to pull it off, and if we can, you'll here about it right here!

I have to go start that third strip now.

Nine Day Afghan - Day 2

Hmmm. The second strip isn't complete. It's about 2/3 through and I would have to stay up way past my already late bedtime. So, the nine day afghan is probably now a ten day afghan.

It probably wouldn't have been so bad cuz I started the strip yesterday and then had to go to church and today I had to walk a dog this morning.
I must admit I do like the strips better than the other ones and this is just the second strip. I am following the pattern more closely.

We'll see how it goes...

The Nine Day Afghan

This is the first strip in the nine day afghan. It's folded in half and pinned to ease the rolling made when knitting stockinette.

Actually, this is the fifth strip in the afghan, but I don't like the other four so I started over yesterday and I will make one strip every day and be done with it in nine days. I will sew it as it goes which will probably add another day all told so it will be done in less than two weeks.

I will let you know more about the afghan as it progresses....