Live Stitches

New Year, New Blog!

2010-01-02T17:47:00.003-05:00

On thing I love about the New Year is seeing everyone post a wrap up of everything they've done over the last year. The last week, my google reader page has been full of once-neglected blogs showing off their accomplishments for the year.

Well, I have my wrap up all posted....at my new blog! I felt a need for a fresh start - I hope you'll join me! I've been looking for a blogging platform with a few more options, so I'm moving to WordPress. I intend to post a more regularly there, but it won't be exclusively about knitting.

So, if anyone's still checking this old thing, you can see my 2009 wrap up at the new blog. Click the picture below and I'll see you there! (Don't forget to update your links and feed readers, if you're sticking around.)

Two Pink Sweaters

2009-11-10T17:18:00.002-05:00

Girl Friday is quickly working her way up the list of favorite knits. As noted before, I had her finished in time to wear to SAFF, and I wore her to work last week. We've been having an unseasonably warm fall, but I'm sure I will be pulling her out over and over this winter.

The pattern - from the most recent Fall Knitty - is very well written. The directions were very clear and the lace pattern is charted. I was drawn mostly to the classic shape of the sweater, and can easily see myself making it again with a different lace pattern. The pattern is written to knit in pieces, then seam. I knit the body in pieces, but I did knit the sleeves in the round up to the sleeve cap. I like having the seamless sleeve, but next time I would go up a needle size for that. My in-the-round gauge is a little tighter than back and forth, and the sleeves are a tiny bit tighter than I'd like - but a good blocking helped, and they fit fine. I didn't really make many modifications other than in length - I am not very tall, and have a pretty short torso and arms, so I shortened the body by about an inch, and took about 2 inches off the sleeves: one inch from the ribbing, and one before starting the increases. They still come down just past the wrist, which is perfect for me.

I went to buy yarn the weekend after the pattern came out. I decided on Berroco Ultra Alpaca, which I've never used before. I love it - it was really nice to knit with and it blocked out really well. It's a 50/50 blend of wool and alpaca - the alpaca makes it so soft and warm, and the Peruvian wool keeps the alpaca in shape. I will certainly use this again. And of course - I love the color...no big surprise there! In my size, the pattern called for 6 balls of yarn - I ended up only using most of 5, so I have a whole hank of yarn left over. If I hadn't shortened it, I'd probably have needed to go into the 6th ball.

Kristen took all the photos when we came home from SAFF. The grounds around her new apartment make for great scenery - thanks Kristen! The color of the sweater is most accurate in the picture highlighting the button.

I knit the back and fronts very quickly, but when I needed a break from the sleeves I took a few evenings to knit up a little pink baby sweater. One of my best friends is a new mom to the cutest baby girl I have ever seen, and when I saw a sample of this tiny sweater at Knit Picky, I knew I needed to knit one. The pattern is the Yoked Cardigan from Knitbot, and I used a new yarn called Spud and Chloe Sweater in the popsicle colorway. I knit the newborn (0-6 month) size on size 8 needles and used just one ball of yarn. My button bands didn't seem to be quite long enough, so I added a crocheted edging to even it up and add a little flair. Betsey was sweet enough to send me some modeled photos - Emmi is right about 8 weeks here, so it looks like there is plenty of room to grow! You can see a few more pictures on her blog and if you look at these more recent photos, you can see a picture of Emmi on a little baby blanket I crocheted years ago, when her mom and I were still roommates!

SAFF!

2009-10-26T18:35:00.001-04:00

Fall is my favorite time of year. I love the cooler weather, the changing leaves, wearing cozy sweaters and socks, and I love Halloween. Another of my favorite things is heading to Asheville for SAFF.

Kristen, Cynthia and I got up early on Saturday for the drive up. We were expecting a cold, rainy day, but except for a brief downpour around Hickory, it was a beautiful day! (In fact, all of us sweater-wearing knitters probably wouldn't have minded a little bit cooler weather!)

We had lots of fun browsing through tons of vendors and hanging out with knitting friends - and petting some sheep! I bought lots of sock yarn (no surprise there!) and a very cool yarn bowl from the Knit Witch. I looked at her bowls at Stitches South earlier this year, and knew I wanted to pick one up. I love the colors, and it will be put to good use! There isn't much better than some beautiful pottery full of yummy alpaca (from Delly's Delights).

I did finish my Girl Friday (knitty) sweater in time for SAFF - I sewed on the buttons the day before we left. And while we were there, we ran into the designer of the sweater who was there as a vendor for her hand-dyed yarns Kitchen Sink Dyeworks. Mercedes is super sweet and took a picture with me, and I couldn't resist getting some of her sock yarn.

So there's a sneak peek of my Girl Friday - look for a post with details and pictures later this week! I also snatched up some Bugga from Sanguine Gryphon, as well as some Handmaiden Casbah and some Harry Potter inspired yarn from Shelby B.

We ended our day back at Kristen's, winding yarn and eating homemade goats-milk peanut butter fudge we got from Heatherlane Farms - delicious!

I'm Back!

2009-10-15T20:16:00.003-04:00

It's true - I am the worst blogger ever. And I don't even really have an excuse! Somehow the rest of you keep blogging even though you're finishing PhD's, or moving far away, or having babies. I have no such excuse, other than sheer laziness. You know how you put things off, over and over, and then it gets so late, you just never do it....yeah. That's me.

Also - I'm pretty sure the summer just disappeared. I realized today at work that I was writing October on my files, but it feels like I should still be writing May. This year is flying by.

So - what have I been up to?

I took a one stroke painting class with a friend from work.....it was fun, but I don't think it will replace knitting.

I went to the beach! I haven't had a real vacation in a few years - it was really nice to get away. I spent a week at Holden Beach with my best friend from high school. There was some knitting, and lots of good reading.

I have been knitting like crazy. The big project for this weekend is finishing up Girl Friday. I started it a few days after the Fall Knitty came out, and am hoping to have it done and ready to wear for SAFF!

More blogging coming coming soon.....for real this time!

Lace

2009-02-22T14:14:00.004-05:00

I know I recently posted about my current blanket obsession....well, in total honesty, I wrote that post about a month ago, and then let it sit until a gentle nudge from Betsey reminded me of my neglected blog.

While I'm still enjoying my blankets, I've recently been drawn more to some lacy knits... maybe the glimpes of spring we've had? I knit this Seascape Stole over the holiday season, and I love it! The pattern calls for Kidsilk haze, but I was looking for something a bit more substantial, so this is knit out of my much loved Silky Wool. I love the pattern, the yarn, the color = it's a winner! The larger gauge gave a little wider stole, which I wanted, and I did 5 repeats (rather than 6) of the main chart. I think it ended up being almost 24 x 75ish inches. I didn't take a pre-blocking measurement. I've already worn it several times.

Last week I cast on for the Diamond Fantasy Shawl with the Seasilk I bought at SAFF 2007. I got the pattern in my Think Pink Holiday Swap package in December and decided it was time to cast on. This shawl starts at the bottom point and goes up, which is a new construction for me, but I really like it so far. The yarn is amazing to work with - but very slippery. I'm using lifelines for the first time - if you drop a stitch, it will just slither right down, making it very unplesant to pick up. This shawl comes with instructions for a small (6 or 7 repeats) and large size(10) - I should have enough yarn for 8 or 9 repeats, I think. I've gotten a little further along since I took this photo.

I generally don't like to have more than one peice of lace on the needles, but I think I'll be breaking that rule shortly. I just got my Spring IK in the mail last week, and I immediately picked up this yarn for the Float Stole - I'm not sure I can wait to make it! I've been squishing this MamaE laceweight at KnitPicky for a few week and was glad to have an excuse to buy it....And hey - the gray will be a nice change to the red lace streak I've had going!

Hemlock Ring

2009-02-16T19:55:00.003-05:00

I don't know if it's the cold weather or what, but lately all I want to do is knit blankets. There's something about curling up on the couch with a warm blanket that sounds so appealing right now.

I finished this Hemlock Ring blanket in early December, but didn't block it until early January. I had hoped to get it washed and blocked by Christmas, but it was not to be. The week I finished it I was dogsitting for a family that has a giant carpeted basement/playroom - I had hoped to be able to block it there, but I didn't think it would be dry before it was time for me to head back to my own home. My apartment has hardwood floors - which I love, but does make it more difficult to block large items, since it's not really feasible for me to block on my bed.

For Christmas, two of my siblings went in and bought me some interlocking foam mats to use as a blocking board. So, after I finally cleared my lving room floor of the fabric from last weekend I put down the mats and pulled out the pins. I had to go buy more T-pins, and as it was, I ended pinning out every other "ruffle" on the edge. Another bonus to using these mats is the foam doesn't absorb water like carpet or towels, so the blanket dried much more quickly.

I'm really pleased with how it turned out! I wish I had made it a tiny big bigger, as I have a ton of yarn left, and it seemed awfully small right off the needles. (My Dad stopped by a few weeks ago and noticed the foam mats out and asked what I was going to do with them, again? I pulled out the wrinkly, crumpled mass of knitting and he was a little skeptical of the magical powers of blocking...I'll have to send him the pictures!) After a wash in the tub with Soak and being pinned out, it grew quite a bit. I took it off the blocking board on Saturday annd I love it! It's a great size for keeping my legs warm on the couch and it goes great in my living room.

Specs:
Pattern: Hemlock Ring (doily pattern rewritten for blanket by Jared Flood)
Yarn: Cascade Eco+, 1.75 skeins (purchased 2 years ago at a Fall Sale at KnitPicky, originally intended for Starsky. I like this better!)
Needles: Size 10 1/2 Knitpicks Options - started with Magic Loop on 32 inch, and used both 40 and 60 in cables
Time: 40 days
Mods: none, really! Went through the extended chart on the Rainey Sisters blog - 3 extra repeats from the original doily pattern

So, next up in the urge to make sure my home is never without enough blankets? This cabled blanket from the Bernat website. Melinda's mom made one for her, and as soon as I saw it I knew I had to have one!

I also have picked up the Great American Aran Afghan book, and would like to make that...as a long-term project. Probably not for a while. I'm also dying to make the Liberty Blanket from the latest Mason-Dixon book, though I'll change the color scheme.

Now, I'm off to curl up under my new blanket with a cup of cocoa and a good book.

Recycling Fabrics

2009-01-09T18:38:00.004-05:00

A few weeks ago, I bought a papasan chair I found listed on Craigslist. I've been wanting one for a while, but brand new ones are pretty pricey - this one was about half the price of one at World Market, plus it came with a matching ottoman! It's in pretty good shape, and comfy - but sort of ugly....so I thought I'd make a slip cover. I spent a little time looking at discount stores for cheap flat sheets or thin quilted cotton blankets but couldn't find quite was I was looking for. So I went hunting for something to repurpose at home.

A few months back, I got a new duvet cover for my bed. I have this great fluffy comforter, but I was bored with it and wanted a little more color but didn't want to spen much money. My company has something we call the e-bulletin board, which is basically an internal Craigslist. It's pretty cool - I've been able to sell some books, dvds and my old cross stitching materials. Someone had posted that they were selling a Pottery Barn duvet cover and shams that had been in their guest room for a few years, basically unused. So, I was able to get it super cheap, and I really liked it.....but not on my bed. The colors were a little too orangey for my room...but they would look great in my living room.

So on Sunday afternoon I moved all my furniture to one side and got out the scissors and the sewing machine. I used one the pillow shams to test out my idea and make a cover for the ottoman - thankfully it worked all right! Goodbye ugly map - hello paisley! See how much prettier that is?

Then I took the seam ripper to the duvet cover. A few minutes of that and I realized my sanity and eyesight would much appreciate just carefully cutting along the serged seams. I spread the top half of the duvet cover out on the floor, tossed the papasan cushion on top and cut around it. Then I took the circle and cut out 2 overlapping half circles to use for the back, making it like a pocketed pillow case. I'm pretty pleased with way it turned out - and it's really soft.

Of course, this left me with the need for something else to go on my bed. Some time ago I bought some fabric with the intention of making a quilt...but has really just been sitting in the fabric basket. I didn't really have the energy to do any quilting. I laid the back of my old duvet cover on the floor, took some measurements, and started cutting. I wish I had taken pictures in progress - it was fun! I had several fat quarters and other short yardage fabrics. I cut then all 18 inches wide, and of varying heights, pretty much at random.

Then I just laid them out on top of the duvet piece, rearranging until all the strips were relatively the same height, and sewed 'em up! I was able to keep the old duvet buttons on the back side, so all I had to do was add a strip with buttonholes to the top. I am really happy with how it turned out. I forgot to get a picture before I put on the bed, but this one shows it ok.

My sister came over today and saw it, then immediately demanded one of her own. We made a quick trip to Joann's and she bought supplies, but there are no promises for a completed blanket until her birthday....in November.

goodbye 2008!

2009-01-03T11:04:00.004-05:00

I spent some time this week working on my list of 2008 accomplishments to turn in to my boss at work - it's been quite a year! Personally and professionally, it was a busy/crazy/hard/good year. I'm looking forward to 2009 and what it will bring.

But I know you're here for the knitting! I've seen these cook flickr mosaics all over the place, and I thought it would be kind of cool to see what I've done this year - more that I thought. Now, I know a lot of these projects haven't been blogged, but I plan to break them into groups and do that over the next few weeks.

I made this using the Mosaic Maker at BigHugeLabs - very fun! It certainly shows my color preferences, which I know can be quite humorous to many of you. Perhaps I will branch out more this year!

Happy New Year :)

Holiday Crafting

2008-12-29T20:50:00.005-05:00

As per the usual on this blog, Happy Belated Holidays! I hope you and your loved ones had a very Merry Christmas.

A few years ago, I wanted to give only gifts I'd handmade myself for Christmas. It was a lot of fun, and well received, but I didn't want to spend another Christmas Eve up late, sewing a tail on a stuffed lion...Last year, I cut back significantly on the handmade gifts, and I didn't have a specific plan for this year. But looking back, it turns out that I made quite a few!

I sent my Grandma and Aunt Beth these cute little cabled ornaments. They're from the Holiday '08 interweave - available free on Knitting Daily. They just took a few hours - Aunt Beth's is made of Moda Dea Washable Wool (left over from the February Lady Sweater) and Grandma's is out of leftover Malabrigo worsted. It turned out great, but the stitch definition was hard to capture in photo.

Uncle Steve got a knit hat - he wasn't here this year, so no modeled shots - but he says it fits! Pattern is "Hat fit for a Boyfriend." I used Paton's Shetland Tweed Chunky, and cast on 80 stitches instead of 100 to make up for the bigger gauge. I also made it a little longer, as Uncle Steve has a larger head and really thick hair. It only took a few hours over 2 evenings - very quick!

Emily got socks! I made her some for her HS graduation that got shrunk in the dryer, and she's been begging for more ever since. These are 3x1 rib, done toe-up on magic loop. They're made of Heart & Sole, which is surprisingly nice.

My 17 year old brother, David, got a book and a fingerless glove. Yep, just one! It seemed a little small, so I wanted him to try it on before I made the second one. Thankfully, it fit just right - I'll be casting on for glove 2 soon.I made a fleece Mets blanket for Aaron - due to a backorder fiasco, I was once again making his gift on Christmas Eve. However, it was done in plenty of time for me to be home for the evening...now if I could just get the orange fuzz off my couch! I don't have any pictures of this, but it turned out nicely.

Lastly, I made some necklaces for my Mom. I gave some to Em for her birthday, and Mom loved them....so I made her a few of her own. It's been awhile since I've done much beading, but she seemed to really like them.

Well, that's it for my Christmas crafts! Now I return to my regularly scheduled selfish knitting. :)

Sock the Vote*

2008-11-01T18:45:00.003-04:00

* I know, I know...forgive the cheesy title!

Today was the last day for early voting here in NC, so I thought I'd try to save myself from standing in line after work on Tuesday and do my civic duty today. Generally, I don't want to talk politics on this blog, but let me just say - PLEASE VOTE! This is a very important election, and it's been interesting to watch this traditionally red state become such a battleground - we've had lots of visits from the candidates here. It's really a privilege to participate...get out there and vote!

So I made some coffee, threw a sock in progress, my i-pod, and a grocery list in my purse and headed off to one of the more out of the way library branches, where I thought I could get in and out in an hour or two.....I should have known it wouldn't go quite so quickly when I had to park nearly half a mile away.

Well, FOUR and a half hours, 5 podcasts, a very hungry stomach, and almost an entire sock later I was back in the car. That's right - I knit almost an entire sock while standing up, in line outside today. These socks have gone very quickly - admittedly, they are dk weight, so a 52-stitch sock with generous row gauge goes much faster than a standard fingering weight sock.

The yarn in Mirasol Hacho, which I picked up at Knit Picky a few weeks ago. I know the color sort of looks like clown barf, but I'm oddly attracted to it - plus, the yarn is sooo soft and squishy - perfect for winter house socks. (It's also a great price - less than $9 for 5o grams.) I started the first sock last Saturday in the car on the way to SAFF (post on that coming soon!) and finished it up on Thursday evening. Last night I knit up through the toe increases on sock 2, then put it aside. I tossed it in the bag this morning, figuring a mindless stockinette-in-the-round project would be good for waiting in line and I could get some work done on the foot of the sock without needing to think about the heel or anything.... haha - Somehow I was able to remember how many stitches I needed for my gusset and heel turn, and by the time I made it into the voting booth I was halfway to the cuff! The photo below is the most color-accurate of the three.

(Note the matching project bag! I bought these fat quarters a while ago to make a sock bag, and I knew it needed to house these socks. I love it!)

I'm babysitting tonight, and the kids should be in bed when I get there, so this sock should be done tonight - now that my fingers have had a rest. I don't think I've finished a pair of socks in a week since I was a nanny, with much more knitting time. Oh, those were the days....

um, is this thing still on?

2008-10-19T17:24:00.012-04:00

When I posted that picture of my unpacked living room, I never anticipated that it would be front and center for nearly 3 months! Thankfully, my living room hasn't actually stayed unpacked this whole time.

So, I took a somewhat unintentional blog break for the summer...and part of fall. (whoops!) I thought about blogging quite often, but my words never made it to the keyboard. I've been thinking about the purpose this blog serves, and how I want to continue with it.

I originally started this blog to keep track of knitting projects, specifically...maybe the occasional sewing project or two. I liked the idea of a log of some sorts, and being able to share my work with the online knitting community. And then Ravelry came along, and it does everything I wanted! So the posts here dropped off....Not to mention, most of my readers (um, if there are any left!) know me in person and live locally, and they already know everything I would blog about. I've been finding too, that the things that I want to blog about are more personal, and I've considered how much of 'me' do I want online....where someone from work/neighbors/church/family/whatever might stumble across. Even though that wouldn't be a huge issue. At the same time, there are one or two out of town friends that know about the blog, and I like the idea of keeping in touch this way.

But lately, I've been reading more blogs than ever - thanks to Google Reader recommendations! (I can't get most blogs at work, but I CAN get Google Reader - lifesaver!) And I'm realizing that the blogs I enjoy the most are about more than simply their craft of choice, but also about them. I like the feeling of connecting with people in a little bit different/maybe more personal way than I can on Ravelry......or I am just incredibly nosy - which is true! I like "meeting" people that enjoy the same things as me, and I like to contribute to that.

So, all that to say, blah, blah, blah.....is that I am not abandoning this blog. It might change a little. There will definitely still be knitting, but there might be more other crafts, or thrifting, or book reviews or cooking, or whatever! These are things I want to do, but I also know I'm not the type to be able to maintain more than one blog, so it all has to go here. Hopefully someone will still want to read it! I'm not making any promises about super-frequent posts or anything, but I think if I can get back in the habit it'll pick up. I'm thinking about doing 101 in 1001, beginning in January, and I want to document that somewhere.

Anyway - I have been doing tons of knitting since my last post. There will be FO posts soon-ish, but everything is up on my Rav page.....So here a little peek of what's been happening since July. I:
- finished 4 pairs of socks
- knit a grocery bag
- knit a perfect pi shawl
- finished 2 sweaters!
- participated in 3 different swaps on Rav
- modeled in a "knit-wear" fashion show at the Pink Ribbon Talks!
- watched all 4 seasons of The Scott Speedman Show...aka: Felicity (I <3 Netflix)
- read several books
- learned to use my tool-box (replaced my dryer cord, with no fire or electrocution!)
- made a breakfast casserole overnight in my slow cooker
- registered to VOTE
- went to the beach with 2 girls from work
- re-joined the Y
- have continued to go to work everyday, while trying to not think about this (remind me why I work in banking?)

So....I should have some posts up relatively soon with finished objects and whatnot. Until then, I dug out some pre-blog sewing projects to show off. I made this bag a few years ago, and then pulled it out when I went to the beach a few weeks ago. I made it out of fabric from wal.mart, and used a cheap-o black shower curtain to line it. I was soo proud of it - I drafted the pattern myself and I love the little applique bikini - I traced a picture I found online onto fabric, and machine appliquéd it on.

soo, if you made it this far - thanks! more soon-ish (promise!) Sorry if this showed up 5 times in your feed reader - blogger has crazy format/font problems!

And it begins...

2008-07-21T22:27:00.006-04:00

Sorry for the recent blog silence! When it comes down to knitting or blogging....I'd rather knit. And I'm also dealing with this :I started the move into the new apartment over the weekend....and there is a lot to do. So, I haven't done a ton of knitting anyway during the past week - though I do have quite a backlog of FO's to show off.

So, here a quickie: I finished these socks back in June, but never got around to posting them here. They're Marisol Hacho dk - they went super fast, and are sooo soft and squishy - toe up, magic loop. More details and pics on the rav page (this picture shows the most accurate color).
I also have two have done pairs of socks....One stockinette sock in CTH Supersock DK, and a Reversi in Louet Gems. Both pairs are on the second sock now.

If you're still reading this, thanks! I will attempt a regular post schedule again sometime!

Friday Eye Candy

2008-06-27T19:23:00.004-04:00

Life has let up for a brief moment - soon I'll try to actually blog and get caught up. Life has been insane, but I've been knitting like crazy.

So, here's what I've been playing with lately.....

- a finished Forget me Not shawl
- a nearly done Perfect Pie (Miss Bab's - chocolate roses)
- the February Lady Sweater (Moda Dea Washable wool in Raspberry)
- Reversi sock 2
- new phone! LG Black Cherry Chocolate :)
- Wild Cherry M&M's.....mmmmm

(you don't sense a theme here, do you?)

Whew!

2008-05-21T21:52:00.003-04:00

That was a close one.

112g of yarn used up, 1 gram left over! Forget Me Not is off the needles and ready for blocking...FO pics coming soon to a blog post near you :)

Sunday WIPS

2008-05-18T20:56:00.003-04:00

It's been a rainy Sunday, and I've spent most of it on the couch nursing a sore throat. Which isn't getting my laundry done, but it is making a dent in my knitting.....so, quick update:

Forget me Not: Nearly done! All that's left is the edging. This photo doesn't really do justice to the size, color or lace - but it will make the "after" that much more lovely.Reversi Socks: I'm don't think I've blogged these. Since this photo was taken, I've made a bit more progress. These have been fun to work on, and the yarn is lovely.
Stormy Socks: I started these last Thursday during the tornado. I needed something I didn't need to think about - which came in handy when my power went out. I finished the first one Wednesday and am in the gusset increases on the second.
Back to couch for me...hopefully I can kick this cold before work tomorrow!

Happy Mother's Day

2008-05-11T09:05:00.006-04:00

Happy Mother's Day! My own mother doesn't read this blog, but I hope the day is wonderful for the rest of you Moms out there.
This might be one tattoo my Mom will actually like!

Pattern: Winged Heart Tattoo, by AnnyPurls (also available as a free Rav download).
Yarn: leftover Malabrigo from my Foliage hat, and Wool Ease for the ribbon. I used black embroidery floss for the "Mom." I made it without wings, due to time constraints and no white feltable wool on hand.
Time: just a few hours! Knit up during SNL last night, and stitched together this morning. Stuffed with leftover poly-fill from some project earlier.

More pics on my Ravelry page here.

Finally Finished!

2008-05-08T20:30:00.005-04:00

Finished - 2 at a time socks! I actually finished these a week ago, and just haven't had a chance to blog them....Our local NBC affiliate has overridden the series finale (!) of Scrubs due to the crazy weather happening nearby, so I thought I'd post while I watch the news. Things here are fine, no rain, even, but tornado warnings abound in surrounding counties.

Anyway! I knit these toe up (WendyKnits toe-up gusset heel sock) at the same time - magic loop. I am now addicted to magic loop. It seems to go faster to me, and I love not having to keep track of 5 needles! Both at once is slow going - I'm not sure I'll do it often, but maybe on occasion. I also love this pattern. I'm not big on short row heels, and I adore this gusseted heel. It fits my foot very well. I think I made the foot on this just the teeniest bit too long, but nothing i can't live with. The construction of the socks lends itself well to knitting 2 at a time.

The yarn is Brown Sheep Wildfoote - Luxury handpaints. While I wouldn't quite classify it a luxury, I hear it holds up well - I hope so. I didn't love the yarn, and probably won't use it again. It's splitty and feels a little coarse to knit with. However, it feels fine on the foot, and will hopefully soften up more in the wash.
I've got another sock on the needles, and my forget me not shawl is about 75% done....I should make good progress this weekend. I've been running myself ragged lately and am looking forward to some quiet time this weekend.

May Day

2008-05-01T19:19:00.010-04:00

I took a teeny break from knitting last weekend to do some sewing. Sewing involves so much set-up, that I go a while and forget how much I love to do it. But I had the urge last weekend and stopped by Sew Original while I was out running errands. I picked up some fun springy fabrics (on sale!) for the Piping and Striping tote by U-handblog. I came across this tutorial sometime last week, and when I saw these fabrics I knew these would be perfect. The fabric is by Benartex, in the City Girl collection. I cut the pieces out while watching The Goblet of Fire on Saturday evening, and did all the sewing Sunday afternoon. (It really isn't wrinkly and crooked - but I love it so much I've been using it all week!)

I am super happy with the way it came out. It's a great size. I have some more fabric that I may make another one with. I think I'd give it a boxed bottom next time, instead of the curved one, for a little more room - but I love the way this turned out. I'm really happy with the chevron striping. Cutting the fabric on the bias makes it stretchy, and a little harder to match up - but I got it on the second try :)

There may be more sewing on the blog soon - I have a half done wedding gift for a couple that's having their first anniversary in less than a month. (How did it get to be May already?!)

Knitwise - I've been concentrating on the socks lately. I started the cuff ribbing last night, and these should be an FO by the time Grey's Anatomy is done tonight. It's about time!

Catch Up

2008-04-28T18:08:00.004-04:00

Well, it's been quite a week since I last posted. Things, as usual, were a bit crazy, but I had a chance to relax this weekend.

My birthday was Friday, and I was able to take off early from work to have lunch with my Mom, which is always nice. I spent the evening with my dear friends Dee Dee, Kristen, Melinda and Gena. We celebrated with Mexican food and Margaritas - how can you go wrong there - and a surprise tequila shot, complete with singing and a large sombrero. We headed to the movies from there - we saw Baby Mama and it was really fun. Thanks girls!

I spent a very lazy Saturday with Freaks and Geeks marathon and my knitting, and later some quality sewing machine time - pictures of that coming soon. Sunday gave me a little more sewing time, and dinner with my 2 best friends from high school.

So, I guess you might be here for the knitting, huh? Let's see...My CPH has been on a temporary break - I'm about 2/3 way done with both sleeves, but it's been so warm, I just haven't had the urge to knit on a big woolly sweater. I spend a good deal of yesterday working on my Wildfoote socks. I'm loving doing them both at one, and I turned both heels yesterday. I'd like to finish them up this week - I won a copy of MeanGirl's new Reversi sock pattern in her blog contest and I can't wait to start them! I've had them in my queue since she first posted them, so I was super excited to win.

So, the weather has me casting aside my sweater, but I couldn't help casting on for new lace! Last Sunday I cast on for Evelyn Clark's latest shawl pattern - Forget Me Not. I battled with tangly yarn for nearly 3 hours, but I finally won and it's been behaving nicely ever since. I'm using the Sanguine Gryphon's Little Traveller that I got at SAFF - it's sock weight, so it's knitting up quickly.

I'm trying out these Bryspun circs for the first time. Gena gave them to me to try out a while back. I like the tips, but I can't decide if I like them. They're a little grabby, which will be perfect for when I do something with my SeaSilk, but I don't really need the extra grab with this yarn. The join is a little chunky, which doesn't help. I'll give them a little more time - this just might not be the project for these. Anyone else tried them?

FO: Swallowtail

2008-04-20T21:24:00.006-04:00

I adore this shawl. It was a fun, quick knit - and the yarn was delightful. It's the Swallowtail Shawl (IK Fall'06 - also available as a free PDF from Knitting Daily - limited time only!) by Evelyn A. Clark. The pattern is well written and simple. Easy enough to memorize, but still not boring. I loved the nupps - I made a conscious effort to knit them loosely, and I didn't have any p5otg problems.

The only negative is the size - it's pretty tiny. A lot of people added repeats to make it larger and a little more wearable. I had only 50g of yarn and wasn't sure if I'd have enough to make necessary
increases. I probably would have though - I had almost 15 grams left over!

I used Malabrigo lace in the Intenso colorway. It was absolutely perfect. I loved knitting with it, and it blocked so nicely. I used size 5 Addi Lace needles.

I had hoped to wear this last night - Kristen, Gena and GP, and I went to see Jekyll and Hyde at our local community theater. Melinda worked on the costume crew, and it was very fun to see her handiwork! As it turned out, an old high school friend of mine was on the cast as well a girl from my church. However, the weather was cold and rainy - not ideal for freshly blocked lace! It was nicer today, and my friend Laurie helped me out with a photo shoot this afternoon.

I love it!

Simply Red

2008-04-11T22:06:00.006-04:00

The ballerina slippers are done! Although they took me 4 months (!) to get done - it was actually a pretty quick project. I casted on in January, but each slipper took just 2-3 evenings...it's just that there was space in between. And then it was 3 weeks before I felted, and one or two more before the finishing touches.

All in all, I'm quite pleased. The Paton Soy Wool felts incredibly, and feels really good on my feet. It took a while to get them both felted to the same size - the right one is a teeny bit bigger, but I can live with it. They're really comfortable...

To continue with the red weekend theme, I've been working on my Swallowtail. Only 2 rows left before the bind-off - it should be blocking tonight! I've spent a good deal of the weekend fighting a cold on the couch with my knitting and having a John from Cincinnati marathon. All 3 discs came in my netflix this weekend...I pretty much have absolutely no idea what's going on - I think this show requires too much thinking for me, or something.

It's back to the couch for me...I'm itching to get my shawl bound off!

Happy Easter!

2008-03-23T21:35:00.005-04:00

Before I was a knitter, I did a lot of sewing. I still love to sew, but it's been taking a back seat lately, for a number of reasons. But I miss it - and I have tons of fabric that needs using up! My hands were bothering me a little last week, so I thought I'd take a few days off from knitting and use up some fat quarters I had laying around. A girl can always use a new project bag! A tutorial for the zippered bag can be found here, by Kelly of Drago(knit)fly. I just threw together the drawstring pouch.And peeking out of the first bag are some socks! I haven't had socks on the needles for a few weeks, but I needed a more mindless project for a movie at a friends house last weekend. I'm attempting two at time, in Brown Sheep Wildfoote - we'll see how long they both stay on the same needle!

Once my hands were back to normal (man, spending 8+ hours at a computer all day takes a toll!) I attacked the fronts of my CPH. I finished the back last weekend - it was too long, so I ripped back past the armhole decreases and redid. Over the last week and half I got both front pieces up to where I needed to start armhole shaping, and then finished those up this weekend. I've been knitting along and watching reruns of The Office....I can't wait for new episodes! (The pieces aren't blocked yet, but they are all the same height, despite what the picture may be trying to tell you!)
Yesterday I met up with Gena and Kristen for a few hours of knitting, and my hands and eyes needed a break from grey stockinette and cables. So I cast on for a Swallowtail Shawl with some Malabrigo laceweight that been sitting on my coffee table for a few weeks...calling my name just a little louder every day! It's not a very big shawl, but I think it'll be perfect over a white summer top.

I hope you have all had a very happy Easter! One of my best friends from childhood was in town and we got to spend a few hours together Friday night - and we ran into Renee - hi! I got to spend some time with my family for Easter dinner last night, and then today I drove my little sister back to school. She's back to her dorm, and I'm in for the evening now...Just enough time for another episode of The Office and a little more knitting :)

blog-iversary!

2008-03-09T21:15:00.002-04:00

Hello! So, again, it's been some time - Life has been crazy lately, but I do have lots to share. But first -I was looking for an old post, and realized that it was one year ago today that I started this little blog! I know that the posting has been sparse lately, but hopefully there are still a few of you reading :) I love reading your blogs, and it makes my day that there are people that actually read this thing! I have really grown a lot as a knitter over the last year, and it's fun to be able to look back at it.

First up - I finished the Southwestern Socks (by Wendyknits) a few weeks ago. They went really quick! I finished them while in Georgia a few weekends ago with my Grandma. These are my first finished toe-ups, done Magic Loop. The yarn is Cherry Tree Hill Supersocke DK in Indian Summer. I also learned the Sewn-Bindoff, which is super simple and nice and stretchy. These socks have a gusset, rather than a short row heel, and I love it!

I'm still on the sleeves of the Gathered Pullover, but no new pictures.

I started the Lelah Top with some Pima Silk last week. The lace on the bottom is knit on size 10.5 needles, and it's just flying along! I think it'll be a great summer top.

So, last Saturday, Kristen, Gena, Melinda and I all started our Central Park Hoodies! I am using Valley Yarns Amhearst in Charcoal and it is wonderful! I'm ready to start the shoulder shaping on the back. It's going pretty quick and I can't wait to be able to wear it. I somehow reversed the center cables, but I'm ok with that - in fact, I think I like it even better.

Well, that's all for tonight - I've gotta get working on those shoulders!

weekend knitting

2008-02-18T20:35:00.009-05:00

I have overcome the knot - and I now have matching socks, down to the last stripe! Anal retentive much? The yarn on the other end of the knot was going in the wrong direction, so it was a little more frustrating than it should have been. But now I have two delightfully matching socks! I did them magic loop, and I really found it enjoyable, and easier to transport than the dpns. The yarn is Berocco Sox, done over 64 stitches on size 1 addis.

In WIP land lies the Gathered Pullover. I've started with the sleeves, done two at a time on Magic Loop. My hope is that by doing the sleeves first, I won't avoid them later! Since this picture was taken, they've grown by a few inches. This is the first time I've done 2 at time like this - the first inch was a little frustrating and tangly, but as they've grown it gotten much easier.

I also cast on a new sock - Southwestern Socks by Wendy of wendyknits. I'm doing them in CTH Supersock DK, Indian Summer. It has a very cool reverse heel flap - it's fits quite nicely. Since the photo, I've finished sock 1, but have yet to cast on for sock 2. I've been able to have a super lazy long weekend, which has been really nice - I've been super stressed lately...my car is on it's deathbed, a dentist appt...basically, anything that could possibly cost me any money....ugh.

But today I could enjoy a day off - yay, bank holidays! - with a friend from High School...And yesterday I got to chill out with Kristen and some delicious Indian food, followed by some knitting and the best hot chocolate ever! I'm in now, for a quiet night of knitting and October Road....just what I need.

Knots...

2008-02-11T20:52:00.000-05:00

...plauging knitters worldwide.

See these lovely, matching, self striping socks? They are quite nice, if I do say so myself. I really like the way they striped up - sometimes when the heel flap hits, it throws off the stripe - like when I did these socks. I was merrily knitting along this this weekend, when something got in my way.
Don't see it?

It's knot - one that's out to disrupt my carefully planned sock! There are clearly 2 different colors on the ends of that knot. And they are not in order...urgh. This is not the first time this sock has tried to pull one over on me. There was a huge tangly mess within minutes of attemptin to start them - had it not been for Jo, these socks would be lucky to be this far along. We overcame that, and I will do this.

The sock and I have had a chat, and it seems it didn't spend enough time in the stash. I just pulled it out, and casted on all willy-nilly. (Apparently the other yarn was giving it a hard time, "we've been here longer, you're gonna be so lonely without us"....blah, blah, blah....)

The sock and I are having some down time tonight, but we'll be back together soon.

sooo....

2008-02-05T21:52:00.000-05:00

Here we are again....a post in which I pretend it hasn't been ages. But, since there's no foolin' you guys, how 'bout I distract you with some FO's. Look - shiny!

First up, we have the Unoriginal Hat. This has been done for a few weeks, and I've been able to wear it a few times. It might be almost 70 degrees today, but the day we took pics it was snowing - Hooray for hat weather! I used Malabrigo Chunky in Velvet Grapes, done magic loop on size 11 needles. The yarn is heavenly to work with, and the hat is cooshy and warm. It only took an evening and a half. I did miscross a cable, but I can live with it. It's one of the big cables, so I just miscrossed both, and it looks fine.Next - the long awaited Hedera socks! I started these socks back in August. For some reason I thought they weren't going to fit, so I put them away. I pulled them back out and thought I'd keep on going rather than rip - the yarn and pattern are just way too perfect for each other. I finished them up quickly and they look perfect! I love them and they actually fit really well. The yarn is the Unique Sheep Footprints in Morning Glory. The color is really hard to photgraph properly. I've already worn them twice.

And, since I don't like to have sockless needles, I cast on for some plain ol' stockinette socks at the last Knit Nite. I'm trying out Magic Loop - and I really like it! I'm not sure I'm a total convert, but I like having options. The yarn is Berroco Sox, it a great colorway. I finished sock 1 in 4 days, and am an inch or so into the second cuff.When I went outside to photograph my single sock, I took along some stash yarn for some Ravelry pics. There I am, outside - taking pictures of yarn propped in my bushes, all while wearing one sock. Yeah....at least half of my neighbors went by - I never see anyone, unless I'm doing something bizarre.

Speaking of bizarre - the Millionaire Matchmaker is on, and for some reason, I cannot stop watching! It's good for knitting time, at least!

Pink - it's my new obsession...

2008-01-21T21:47:00.000-05:00

So, it's been awhile, but I really have no excuse. I have lots to update on, but I need to be quick - so I give you a song and some pictures -

You could be my flamingo, 'Cause pink - it's the new kinda of lingo...
I was doing laundry the other day, and noticed something peculiar about all my clothing.

'Cause Pink - it's my favorite crayon...One day, I will have socks and shawls to match all those sweaters!

Pink - it's not even a question
I have resurrected the Hedera socks - for some reason, I thought they were too tight. Turns out, once it was done, the first one fit just right. I knit the ribbing for the second one tonight.

Pink - it was love at first sight

I started the Melody shawl this weekend, and it was indeed love at first sight! What's better than a giant tube of stockinette for movie going?

Yeah! Pink - it was love at first sight (yeah)

Pink - when I turn out the light

Pink - it's like red but not quite

And I think, everything is going to be all right...

New Year, New Knitting...

2008-01-06T19:57:00.000-05:00

Well, it'll probably be a few more weeks before I remember to stop writing 2007 on my checks, but I'm settling in alright to the new year.

I had a little downtime over the holidays, and my evenings have been quiet over the past week, so there has been knitting!

The first FO of 2008 is the (too small) Center Square hat. This is also my first fair isle attempt. Bulky yarn on size 10.5 needles made it go very fast - just 2 evenings. I think I did a fairly good job of keeping an even tension, but the hat came out waaayyyy to small for me. I didn't really check gauge - I was knitting mostly for the sake of knitting, and learning something new. After checking Ravelry it seems this is pretty common - the too smallness, that is. And in fact, had I bothered to read the finished dimensions I would have known it wouldn't fit. I'm sure I can find a little girl that needs a new hat! I knit this out of Paton's Classic merino, doubled. One of my goals for '08 is to be more comfortable with colorwork.

And the second FO is a pair of Fetching fingerless mitts. I knit these up in 2 days, one evening each out of Cashmerino Aran on size 5 dpns. I omitted the picot edge - that seemed to flare out, and not really hug the hand...seems a little counterproductive to the whole keeping warm thing! I hear these run big, so I knit them a tighter gauge. I was able to get both mitts out of one ball of yarn easily. Which means I still have one ball left! My little sister loves purple, so I may whip up another pair for her.

In progress I have some Ballerina Slippers! I'm excited about these, in a silly sort of way. I was initially planning to do some felted clogs, but this pattern popped up first...who can resist? As you can tell, I've been into the smaller projects lately. I'm trying to lighten my stash of single skeins and smaller amounts of yarn - plus I haven't had the focus for a big project and I needed a little instant gratification.

Well, I hope the New Year is off to a good start to you! Happy Knitting :)

the last FO's of '07

2007-12-30T19:58:00.000-05:00

So, it's been a while! I hope you all had a delightful Christmas and time with families, etc.! Mine was very nice, a little chaotic - but when isn't it when you get together with everyone?

Since it's been so long since I posted, I have quite a bit of knitting to share :) I finished the first of my toe up socks, but the bind off is too tight - needs to be redone...I planned to do that tonight, but I can't find it! So hopefully it'll turn up - pictures soon!

I finished Aaron's penguin with plenty of time to spare. I think another Pasha is in my future though - this one came out sooo cute I didn't want to give it away. I wish I had started it earlier, so I could have shown it off in person. Aaron seemed to really like it. I made it with bulkier yarn than stated in the pattern - I used a bulky novelty yarn from JoAnn's - Angel Hair Sensations, but knit it at a tighter gauge to keep the stuffing from popping out. It's very soft. The yarn for the beak is some TLC Amore knit doubled - it was left over from a crochet pillow a few years ago - I don't even know if that yarn is made anymore. I think I got it at a Walmart, or AC Moore. Pasha took just 3 evenings to make, and then stitched her up the next morning.

I also made a hat over Christmas - Foliage, from the fall Knitty. This was a quick knit - just 2 days. I love the way it turned out. Excuse the photos - it is very difficult to photograph one's own head, but by the time I found a friend to help out, there was no natural light anywhere. I used Malabrigo worsted in Geranio. This was my first top down hat - the first 3 rows were a little fiddly, but once I made it past that there were no problems. I have quite a bit of the yarn left over, but I'm not sure if it's enough for another hat - maybe a child's hat? I did the top increases magic loop, then used a 16 inch circ for the body. And, last but not least, Lara is complete - well, she's been done for a while, but the only pictures I've managed to get are terrible. So here's one modeled by Marilyn. Soon I'll get one on me. I have worn it a few times - it is incredibly warm. Perfect for my office. This was a super fast knit - only 2 weeks! But it took me another week and a half before it was seamed....and now here we are.Now I'm off for some Ravelry browsing - I have some single skeins that I'm trying to use up!

in which I have startitis

2007-12-18T21:43:00.000-05:00

It seems like just 2 nights ago I was at the Knit Picky holiday party....yeah, it was actually a week and 2 nights ago! I'm not sure how that happened. The holidays have hit full swing, and I'm being dragged along.

Last weekend, I got to hang out with the coolest knitters and friends I know at a fun Christmas party. There was food, martini's and yarn - what could be better?! I got some beautful Tofutsies in the gift exchange from Christina, and I won some new sock yarn from Berocco as a door prize! It must be super new, because it doesn't have an entry on Ravelry yet - I'll add it when I get some pics.

The past week and a half have been a little crazy, so there hasn't been much progress. I wasn't feeling well for a good part of the week, the Christmas prep...I took Kristen to the airport on Saturday morning, and did most of my shopping after that. I still need one thing for one of the brothers.

So, knitwise...Lara is all seamed except for the collar, which will happen tonight - the curved shawl....we're not speaking of that at the moment. Don't have the focus - so I'm working on some super easy stuff...I'm still deciding how I feel about the red/white socks. The stripes are 3x wider than I thought, and I'm not sure if I love it. The blue socks are my first toe up - and the first I've done on 2 circs. So far, I love them! The black blob is Knitty's Pasha, a penguin for my little brother. I got him the movie Surf's Up for Christmas, and I think he'll love it.

Tomorrow is my Holiday Luncheon at work, so I'm off to the grocery store so I can pick up ingredients for my dish....Then back for seaming!

Rose Garden socks

2007-12-06T19:12:00.000-05:00

I finished my Rose Garden socks last night, and they kept my feet nice and toasty today at work!The yarn is Miss Bab's Yummy Superwash Sport - and it really is yummy! I used size 2 dpns and cast on 56 stitches - they fit perfectly. I did my first short row heel on these. I used this workshop from Kathleen Taylor. It a no wrap, no yarn-over method....interesting, and with good results. It's a little lumpy on the outside of the sock, but that may be due partly to the thicker yarn. I'm not sure if I'm crazy about this fit, but I'd like to try this sort of heel again. I think I need to do just one or two less short rows to fit my heel - but overall, I'm very happy with them. The slipstitch heel flap is so thick with a sportweight yarn, and I really think it made a difference in the way the yarn spiraled - which I Love! If I'd done a heel flap it would have interrupted the flow of the color. As for my other knitting - Lara is nearly done. I'm down to just the right sleeve, and then it'll be ready to sew together. I can't wait!

I haven't made much progress on the Curved Shawl, but there will be much knitting on that this weekend - I hope!

This post...

2007-12-03T20:45:00.001-05:00

... is brought to you by the color red.

In the name of holiday spirit, I hung up a wreath and put out a new welcome mat - I love decorating for Christmas and I'm trying to decorate outside too, where people will see it, other than just me. I also hung some lights outside - they are a really cute string of stars...However, I didn't realized that they flashed, and now I'm concerned they're going to give someone a seizure. If my blinds are open and the lights are off, it looks like a disco party in my living room - which rarely happens these days :)

I took a a long weekend from work, and anticipated much knitting time and some holiday shopping. And then I twisted my ankle getting into the car yesterday, not too badly, but enough that I don't want to stress it. Nothing's broken, but it's bruised and ugly and rather sore. So instead of shopping, I spent nearly all of yesterday and today propped on the couch in front of the television with my knitting. Much progress has been made!

The Lara sweater is zipping along. It has a rather interesting construction - I knit a lot of things that you can try on as you go, and there is none of that with this - so I'm hoping for the best as far as fit. But my guage is spot on, which makes me feel good! The left sleeve and front are done, and about 2/3 of the back. I've just finished the ribbing for the right front - regardless of the bore factor, stockinette goes fast!

I finally began my Curved Shawl, from Victorian Lace today. This is began in hopes of wearing it to a wedding at the end of the month...and while that would be lovely, I'm not quite sure I'll make it. I'm 12 rows in, and so far it requires every bit of my attention. This is not a shawl made for tv watching - which is when I make the most of my progress...But it is starting to show the pattern - the first few rows looked like what happens when thread gets caught in the vaccuum - hopefully soon it'll be better! The first few rows were difficult and loopy, but once I got going, it wasn't soo bad.And now that my eyes are clouded over from charts and tiny stitches, its back to Lara and the tv!

Leaf Lace!

2007-12-02T14:32:00.000-05:00

The Leaf Lace Shawl is done! Ok, it's been done for a week, but it took me a while to get pictures of it (thanks Cassie!)

I absolutely love it. It blocked out amazingly, and it really is the perfect size. I wore it to Knit Picky yesterday, and to church today and got several compliments. The color is perfect for the leafy look, and it is delightful to wear. I was looking over the blog to see when I started it, and realized it didn't take me as much time as I thought - just about a month and a half. I thought at one point it would never end, but then the next thing I know, it was time for the edging.

I never thought I would be a lace knitter, or a shawl wearer, for that matter - but I have been converted! The pattern is Leaf Lace by Evelyn A Clark and the yarn is Sweet Georgia laceweight in Coffeebean. A perfect match, if I do say so myself :)

a sleeve and a sophie

2007-11-28T22:04:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago I mentioned at Knit Night that I was planning to, one day, knit the Lara sweater. In fact, I even had the yarn - it was my first big yarn ebay purchase. I've been sitting on this yarn for almost a year. Someone asked what color, and I said, oh - black cherry. And Melinda said..."What? YOU had something in your stash for a year named black cherry!?" And for those of you that know me - or have seen my stash page on Ravelry - know that this is pretty much my favorite color.Well, friends, the time has come. I'm getting ready to start a more complicated lace shawl, and I knew I'd want some mindless stockinette. And hey - stashburning! The Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk is amazing to work with, and will make a super cozy sweater - perfect for my nearly sub-zero office. I started it on Sunday night and have finished the left sleeve, so far.My Sophie bag is finished! The Patons SWS felted like crazy. It took only one trip thru the wash, and feels much more sturdy than my Booga Bag, which went around 3 times. I think the SWS would make great Fuzzy Feet, or Felted Clogs. The finished Sophie is the perfect size for running errands.

Coming up soon - finished Leaf Lace pics, and a sock update.

A Finishing Frenzy!

2007-11-24T15:54:00.000-05:00

Last weekend was for ripping out knits...this weekend is for finishing! (Ithought it was a little silly when I looked on my projects page and realized three of them were at 95%...)

The leaf lace shawl is pinned out and blocking...

Sophie is felting right this moment -you thought I forgot about her, huh? I've been adding a few rows whenever I have a chance at lunch, and yesterday I realized she just needed a bind off and handles. And the Bainbridge Scarf is done! I don't think I've blogged about this before. I started it about 2 weeks ago when I needed a mindless project. I was surfing Ravelry and came across this one - I had 2 skeins of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino DK that needed a project. This was just what I needed. It's knit in a 1x1 broken/garter rib. I like the "wrong" side so much that I'm using it for the outside - it has a great texture. It only took 3 days to do -it's just that there was a week in between the last two of those days :) It's the perfect neck scarf. Keeps the wind away from my neck, and doesn't have long ends to get all blown around when it's really windy. The pattern is by Minty, at PepperKnit. It's amazing what a girl can get done on a chilly Saturday with a tapestry needle and Father of the Bride (I and II) marathon. And hey - this means I can start something new!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-22T20:50:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all...I hope you were able to celebrate with friends and family today. I had a big meal with my family this afternoon, and now I'm quite thankful the peace and quiet of my apartment with a glass of wine and some knitting! All my siblings were home, and it was nice to spend time with my family. I certainly have a lot to be thankful for.

And now - finished socks! I finished these last week, but hadn't had a chance to post them yet. I wore them to work the other day, and I love them! They kept my feet nice and toasty in my chilly office. They're made out of ONLine Supersocke, with size 2 needles. The yarn was a birthday gift from Laurie earlier this year.

And of course, since one should not go long without socks on the needles, I started a new pair this afternoon out of my Miss Babs sportweight - a SAFF purchase. I'm in love already! I got the ribbing done this afternoon while watching my Dad and brothers play some version of baseball in the backyard. (Second base was a lawn chair...)

Last but not least.....the leaf lace shawl is off the needles, but as of yet unblocked. There will be pictures soon!

adventures in knitting

2007-11-18T16:23:00.000-05:00

It's been quite a weekend here! Yesterday Gena, Melinda and Kristen came over for brunch and some knitting time. There wasn't quite as much knitting as expected, but there was a different sort of progress....

Remember this? This was the first sweater I ever knit. I was so proud of it - it fit perfectly.

Well, this is what that sweater looked like yesterday morning.And this is what it looks like now.Clearly, a sweater should never fit two people at once..but this one did. (Gena and I had a hard time keeping the sad faces on - it was pretty hilarious to be stuffed in a sweater with another girl!)

So it was time to rip. This sweater was knit double stranded with Berocco Bonsai....a soft, lovely, drapey yarn - a yarn entirely unsuitable for a sweater. It took all four of us about an hour to get it undone and rewound. The yarn was held double, which right away makes it difficult, and due to the slippery nature of the yarn, I had weaved in my ends rather awkwardly to make them stay put....yeah, some of them did.

Yeah, the yoke of a sweater should never be this big...I wish I had put something in there for scale, but use your imagination.

So now I have 10 rewound balls of Bonsai needing a project. I'm considering a Clapotis (knit at a tight guage) - the yarn has a sheen to it that would look wonderful with the dropped stitches....But it's going to be awhile before I feel like working with this again.....But thanks to good friends and a chocolate fix (thanks Melinda!) we made it. I think that if I'd been on my own I would have been in tears and/or thrown it in the trash.

While not ripping out sweaters, we did actually do some knitting....I'm making progress on the Leaf Lace shawl. I counted my repeats, and I'm getting close to the end. I think if I knit exclusively on this for the week, I can get it done over Thanksgiving.And on another note, my youngest brother turned 12 today! Happy Birthday Aaron! I blew out a tire on the way to my parents house for a birthday lunch, but thankfully they were just about 2 minutes behind me on the road...they were coming from church, and I was coming from Target, where I had been for a last minute gift. While I am no longer asking - why me? - in regards to my terrible car luck...I am very glad to have a Dad and brothers who are skilled in tire changing. Thanks guys! (note the cute handknit hat Aaron is sporting - I made it for him last winter, but forgot to give it to him! It turned up just in time Instant birthday gift.)

Stay tuned - finished objects coming up soon!

oh yeah...

2007-11-11T19:10:00.000-05:00

Recipe for a great weekend:
1. Tattoos!

2. Mexican food and margaritas with my best friend from high school.

3. Chick flicks.

4. Sleepover with the little sister.

5. Sock knitting - I'm back, baby!

6. Mom's homemade mushroom soup.

7. Sleeping in.

8. Having Monday off :)

Now, this might not be everyone's idea of great weekend, but it's been pretty close to perfect for me.

What's that? Oh, this is a knitting blog....See that sock peeking out from behind my newly inked ankle? A finished sock! I have finally broken though my sock problem. My last 2 sock attempts have been too small, and I just burnt out a little bit over the summer. But last week I was heading to a movie with Kristen, and knew I needed some mindless stockinette...and I had just the yarn for it. I got this from Laurie on my birthday, and I love it. We all know how much I love pink, and these socks are just flying along. The second one is about halfway down the cuff. Now that it's cold out, I want to make socks again - not to mention my sock yarn stash is getting overwhelming.

I've made some progress on my leaf lace shawl....Hoping to get that done in the next few weeks. I'm debating on my next sweater project. I've got the yarn for the tangled yoke, but the color of yarn I picked out it more suited to fall/spring wear, so I think I'm going to hold off until after the new year to work on it. I've got a few sweaters worth of yarn in the stash, and I want to make the gathered pullover fromm the Winter IK too...I think I'm going to start Lara, from Debbie Bliss. I've got the yarn, and it would be the perfect cozy sweater for my freeeeezing office. I have some other ideas floating around, but I could use a fairly mindless project for a while.

Now, to continue on the perfect weekend track, I'll be making some popcorn and settling down with my knitting and Desperate Housewives and Brothers & Sisters. ahhh....

Long weekend....

2007-11-09T22:25:00.000-05:00

My last few weekends have been busy - with friends and knitting, especially. Could there be any better kind of busy? I think not.

2 weeks ago, Kristen, Melinda, Gena and I made the trek to Asheville for some fibery goodness. SAFF was happening - so there we were, decked out in handknits. Gena does a much better job of keeping up with her blog, so you can read about some of our adventures on her page. We had an amazing time, got to meet some new friends at the Ravelry/Blogger meetup, saw alpacas and llamas, and of course, bought yarn.....oh, the yarn. It was quite an overload to the senses. I'll have to post yarn pictures another day - the time change has left me with hardly any natural light during my at home time, and my photos are suffering greatly.

Last weekend, Kristen had us over for some food and hang out time - and we did a little impromptu photo shoot for Mr. Greenjeans. I finished him just in time to wear to SAFF, but with all the excitement, I forgot to get pictures. (Also - I'm a terrible photogropher.) Kristen, who has a cute picnic bench near her apartment, and much more photo taking skills than I, emailed me some great shots.

I think my favorite on is the one with the raglan detail - it looks so clean! I loved knitting this, and it will definitely be a staple in my wardrobe this fall.

In other fall news, I received my dischcloth swap

package from my super cool pal Anita just after

Halloween. I wish I had taken a picture before I ripped into it - everything was packaged in black and orange tissue paper. Anita sent me a great dishcloth - I had that same yarn, and had the hardest time finding a pattern that it looked right with, but she did it..I love it. There was also some of my favorite chocolate, some bamboo needles in my most used size, and all sorts of goodies. She sent some linen yarn, which I've been wanting to try, and a super soft soy blend. I can't wait to use them. Thanks so much!

There has been more knitting, but thats an update for another night. I'm going to catch up on last nights Grey's, do some swatching, and then get to bed....I'm spending the day tomorrow with my best friend from high school, and I'm so excited to have a girls day out. And since we have Monday off, there's an extra day to recover!

here we go again

2007-10-26T22:01:00.000-04:00

Why, hello there! I was just reading back a few posts, and seems I start out every other one with "I can't believe it's been so long!" Well, here we are again. Life has been a little crazy, and I have been knitting like a madwoman in order to finish Mr. Greenjeans.

Last weekend, I dogsat for a good friend of mine. She and her husband were away for the weekend, so I spent mine curled up on her couch with her dog, my knitting and their nice widescreen tv. Since last Friday, I have watched 10 episodes of Brothers and Sisters (I'm totally caught up now!), eaten 6 bags of microwave popcorn, spent 2+ hours watching clips of The Office on YouTube, and knit 2 sleeves and a button band on Mr. Greenjeans. Not bad, I say.

Mr. Greenjeans is currently pinned out and blocking on my living room floor, so no pictures yet. I'll be wearing him this weekend, though, so there will be action shots soon!

Well, excuse the lack of pictures today - as of tonight, I'm picking up my abandoned projects....um, Cozy, anyone? Expect more posts in the not so distant future.

Bright and early tomorrow, Melinda, Gena, Kristen and I are headed to SAFF for the day! I am super excited - this is my first fiber festival. Several of the girls from our Knit Night at Knit Picky will be there, and I can't wait to see who else! I'll be sporting the new sweater, of course.

Finally Fall

2007-10-14T19:44:00.000-04:00

Fall has finally arrived in Winston Salem! It's still pretty warm in the afternoons, but there have been a few quite chilly days. I spent part of the weekend near Pilot Mountain with some friends -the leaves haven't done much changing yet, but the fall air seems so much more crisp in the mountains. We spent much of Friday night wrapped in blankets on the porch, watching stars - we saw 3 shooting stars! It was the perfect start to fall.

I have been knitting away like a madwoman on my cardigan. I bound off on the body this afternoon, and I'll probably pick up on the sleeves tonight. It's coming along well. It's a teeny bit small, but I know it'll grow a little bit once it's washed and blocked. I've done a little more work on the leaf lace shawl, but it looks pretty much the same, so I'll spare you more rumply pictures. More updates soon!

Whoa...

2007-10-10T20:52:00.000-04:00

So, it's been awhile - hi friends! I am still blogging, and knitting, but life has been a little crazy lately. But I hadn't realized quite how long it had been.

I have finally got the apartment looking like a home instead of a storage unit...which also means I can spend my evening with guilt free knitting. Although it was 92 degrees yesterday - thats right..NINETY TWO - in OCTOBER...I can feel fall coming. My favorite season. I love sweaters and leaves and fall tv. So, it is just right that I should combine the three.

I am working away on Mr. Greenjeans, but I caved in and started the Leaf Lace Shawl. My fingers were itching, and after watching Kristen, Gena and Melina and their beautiful lace, I couldn't wait. I am using Sweet Georigia's Handpainted Lace in Coffee Bean. It's a light, rusty brown that looks perfect for fall leaves. I'm really enjoying it so far. It's at the point now that it's moving pretty quickly, although that won't last long. I've had a hard time getting a good photo, but here's an idea of what it looks like.

After using that tiny little lace yarn, the worsted for my sweater feels huge! It's looking good - I am about halfway through the rib and cables. I am hoping to have it finished in time for SAFF...I'd like to able to wear it then. I am doing the cables without a cable needle, and it is going so much faster! I can't wait to wear it.Well, that's it for tonight - but I promise, the next post won't be so far away :)

oh, deer

2007-09-25T20:35:00.000-04:00

It's been a very busy few days. I had quite a weekend - knitting with friends at the Apple Festival, a cookout, babysitting....and then last night, Mickenzie and I were hit by a deer! It's true - I did not hit a deer...it hit me. We're fine - my poor little car has sustained a few more dents, but it's still driving.

So tonight, I'm just relaxing! I plan to spend most of this week finishing the unpacking...but I'm spending tonight with my 3 favorite men - Mr. Greenjeans, Jon Stewart and Steven Colbert. I am hoping to make it to the sleeve seperation on greenjeans tonight. I saw a finished one on ravelry, and now I cannot wait to be done! Now if only the weather would cooperate - it IS fall, right?

My Hedera socks are on the back burner...I think they're too small and I have temporarily lost my desire to work on them. I like them a lot, but now that my knitting time is so limited, I really want to work on the sweater. I may need to become a one project at a time knitter..we'll see.

It's done!

2007-09-20T20:11:00.000-04:00

The Not So Shrunken Cardigan made it's debut yesterday...I finished the ruffle and sewed in the ends on Tuesday night, and wore it to work and Knit Night yesterday. It was a great success! I think this is topping the list of my favorite things. It fits perfectly and was a fun, low maintenence knit. I am now hooked on Silky Wool...I will certainly be using it again. I got several comments on my sweater at work - it's so exciting to hear someone say that they like it. Jo took some pics at the shop last night....(there are a few more on Ravelry.) Stats:

Pattern: Marilyn's Not So Shrunken Cardigan, but Wendy Bernard of Knit and Tonic

Yarn: Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool, 4.10 skeins

Needles: KP options 6 and 4, size E crochet hook (for ruffle)

Time: month and a half?

Mods: I only did one row of the ruffle - one seemed just right to me. My ruffle seemed more pronounced than the others I've seen on ravelry or blogs.

So, since I'm done with the cardi, I can cast on for another one! I've ordered some more Silky Wool in parchment for the Tangled Yoke, but it's on backorder - so, tonight I'll be casting on for Mr. Greenjeans. I can't wait - this is the cardigan I've been waiting for. I spent many hours browsing blogs for the perfect cabled cardigan, and I think this one is it. It involves 3 of my favorite things - top down raglan, cables, cardigan....yeah, this is it.

I finally picked up the Hedera socks again! No pictures yet, but the first sock now has a heel flap - the heel has been turned and the guesset is ready to be picked up. I'm slowly making progress on Cozy. I worked on it during a yarn lunch with the girls last weekend, and will probably take it babysitting tomorrow.

And again - the Fall into Autumn Topic of the Week...

Whenyou knit or crochet dishclothes, washclothes or face clothes, what do you use? What size needle or hook? Wood? what type? Metal? Plastic? A specific Brand? Why do you love that needle or hook so much? Is there one you are dying to try? Is there a particular yarn you love and use all the time for clothes? What is so special about it?

When I knit dishcloths I usually use Peaches/Sugar and Cream yarn, and metal needles. The slickness of metal needles makes the cotton knit a little easier. I ususally use old Susan Bates straight needles - I like the shorter 9/10 in length needle. I rarely crochet anymore, but I always use Susan Bates hooks - they have the perfect hook. As far as yarns...I love a lot of yarns....

Alright...I'm leaving off here - time for some quality knitting time!

finally friday...

2007-09-14T20:22:00.000-04:00

I am so ready for the weekend. It has been one long week. I'm looking forward to some lazy time.

So...the new Knitty is up - and again my queue gets longer. I am dying to make Mr. Greenjeans. I have some heathery green/teal Cascade 220 that would be perfect - I was originally going to use it for Wicked, but I think this'll be better. I tend to wear cardigans more than pullovers, although Wicked will stay on my queue - who knows when I'll get to either one of them. I also really like the Tussie Mussie cardi - but I don't really like reverse stockinette that much - if I decide to make it, I'd probably do it in stockinette, but with wide purl gutters around the floral pattern....we'll see. (How many cardigans does one girl need anyway?) There were some really cute hats too.

Speaking of cardigans....the Not So Shrunken one is nearly done! I've finished the body and sleeves, and sewed down the hems last night. All I have left is the button bands, neckline and ruffle. I have never knit anything that needed a button band before, so it will be somewhat of an adventure. I'm hoping to be done in time to wear it this Wednesday to Knit Night. I can't wait!

I've been working pretty exclusively on the cardi, so there's not much else to report knitwise. If only I had more time - there is so much I want to do!

And before I forget - the Fall into Autumn topic of the week....Do I change my knitting habits with the weather? Well, I've really only been knitting seriously for less than a year. But I did notice I did a lot of knitting with cotton and cotton blends this summer, and all the projects I have coming up are wool/wool blends - So I guess I tend to knit my garments seasonally. And speaking of seasons - Hallelujah....Fall is almost year. I was actually a little chilly on the way out the door this morning. Bring it on!

magic sleeve!

2007-09-09T21:39:00.000-04:00

I'm making progress on the Not So Shrunken Cardigan - I hope to have it done within the week. I finished the first sleeve last night - so far, it seems like it's going to fit really well. I used magic loop for the sleeve, and I think I like it. I don't think I'd want to do it for socks, but I liked using it for the sleeve - it seemed a little more sturdy - and, it's easier to try on as you go along. Mickenzie and I are watching the office: season 3 on dvd, so I'm taking advantage of that as knitting time!I'm still moving along on Cozy - I accidentally did one of the lace rows twice in a row, but didn't notice for a few rows later....so, there was some ripping, but I managed to get it back on the needles and I've made my way back to where I was. So, I can't quite decide what I want to do next. There are a ton of things I want to do...I think I've narrowed it down to the Minimalist Cardigan from the latest IK, or the Aspen Top Down Sweater from Knitting Classic Style. I have some stash yarn that will work for the Minimalist Cardi, so it will probably be that. But the Aspen sweater is soo beautiful.

What I really need to do is finish what I have going...including my poor neglected Hedera socks....

Fall into Autumn

2007-09-07T23:24:00.000-04:00

So, I had so much fun with my last swap, that I thought I'd do another one! There's a fall dishcloth exchange, and I love fall. So, here is my questionnaire...

1. Do you knit or crochet? How long have you been doing it?
I do both, though primarily knit.

2. Have you made dischloths before? Do you use them yourself, give them as gifts, or both?
Yes - I use dishcloths is my kitchen, and I think they make great gifts.

3. What's your favorite cotton to make cloths from? What cotton would you like to try that you haven't before?
I usually use Sugar/Peaches n Cream for dishcloths - I like Knitpicks shine for facecloths. I'd like to try Cotton Chenille or something with linen in it.

4. If you knit, do you prefer circular or straight needles? For all, do you prefer wooden, metal, or plastic needles?
Um, I use my knitpicks options for almost everything, but I usually use straight needles for dishcloths....I like metal or wood.

5. What are your favorite colors? Any colors you don't like much?
I love reds/pinks/burgandy/brown and blues/greens/purple. I don't like neon/really bright colors.

6. What do you like best about Autumn?
Wearing cozy sweaters, taking walks in the leaves.

7. Pies: Pumpkin? Apple? Pecan? All of em? or No Thanks
I love pumpkin and apple! yum!

!8. When you were a kid, were you the one who couldn't wait to get started with school , or the one who overslept on the 1st day?
Well, I was usually up early the first few days, but by the second week I had to be dragged out of bed.

9. Do you celebrate Halloween? (The real key here guys is especially knowing if you have an aversion to the holiday or little goodies/decorations associated with it, given the timeframe of the swap).
I LOVE Halloween.

10. If you had to choose just 3 edible 'goodies' to eat for a full year, what 3 would you choose?
ooh, tough. Popcorn, cheese and snickers ice cream bars.

11. Do you have any pets? Kids? Husbands who seem like kids? ;)
nope...

12. If you were to describe a particular yarn that shares traits of your personality, what would it be and why?
hmm - maybe a merino - I get a little pilly sometimes, but brush it off, and I'm back to normal!

13. Do you use your cloths mostly for dishcloths, or as facecloths?
mostly dishcloths

14. Favorite Fall Holiday: Halloween or Thanksgiving and why? (Feel free to share another fall memory if you do not celebrate either of these holidays)
Halloween is probably one of my favorite holidays. The past few years, my roomates and I carved pumpkins the night before and then dressed up to hand out candy - we lived in a great neighborhood.

15. Do you have any allergies or aversions your pal should know about?
um, cats - both an allergy and an aversion... :)

yay- I'm so excited!

coming soon - a post with knitting progress!

laboring away

2007-09-02T22:04:00.000-04:00

Happy Labor Day! I hope all of you are enjoying a 3 day weekend - I know I am!

Well, I have to confess - there has been very little knitting lately. I haven't picked up the cardi or my socks all week, which I hope to remedy on my day off tomorrow. But, I did get started on Knitty's Cozy wrap. I'm making it with Miss Bab's handyed in Chocolate Roses (the same yarn as my monkeys.) I emailed Miss Babs through her website to see if she could dye me the colorway in a worsted weight. She emailed me back right away, and I had the yarn within a week! She has fabulous customer service, and wonderful yarns. I highly recommend her.

I am loving this Cozy wrap. It's a simple lace pattern, and looks great in the yarn. I've made it through 5 repeats (it's an 8 row repeat, and I'll just go til it's long enough.) It's a little chilly in my office - and my cubicle is right under a vent - this wrap will be perfect!

As I said, there has been very little knitting lately - the apartment is still full of boxes, and if I focus on getting unpacked and settled, then hopefully soon I'll have my evenings back. Even though I haven't been knitting much, I've spent too much time browsing magazines and ravelry lately. There are so many things I want to knit! I'm in love with the Tangled Yoke and the Minimalist Cardigan from the Fall IK, and the latest Magknits has a pair of socks that will be perfect for some yarn in my stash. And this is just on top of all the things already in my queue.

The weather has been slightly cooler lately - not cool, really, but not sweltering. But it's bringing glimpses of fall - I need to get started so I have some sweaters ready!

projects....

2007-08-25T23:04:00.000-04:00

I finally had a chance to sit down with some knitting after a very long week. Boy, working a "real" job is exhuasting! The first week went well, and I think I'm going to enjoy it....but I miss the naptime I had with the kids! Not to mention the knitting time...

But, I did have some time with the needles this weekend. I finally finished off the Trekking socks. They fit really well, but I wish I had done a little more ribbing at the top. I love this colorway. Part of the reason it took me so long, is that I momentarily abandoned them to work on a new pair of socks. Last weekend I started the Hedera socks in some Foot Prints in Mornign Glory. They are soo pretty. I love the way they're working up. I'm almost ready to start the heel flap on the first one.

I haven't done any work on the cardigan this week, but I intend to pick it back up soon. I also wound up some yarn last night for Knitty's Cozy. I can't wait to get started on it. Details next time.

Well, I'm off to update my Ravelry notebook, and browse a bit. My queue is growing and growing, but my time is shrinking! Help!

quick update and a meme

2007-08-21T21:47:00.000-04:00

It's been a very busy week since I last posted, and this one will be quick, and rather unexciting since I have no fun photos to share.

On the life front: I started my new job yesterday, and so far, so good! I think I'll enjoy it, although I'm a touch overwhelmed right now. Life in the banking world is much different than life as a nanny....I am still working on getting settled in the new apartment. It's so hard to unpack - I wish I could just come home and everything would be put away, you know? It is nice to get a chance to reorganize though.

Knitwise: The Ogee Lace skirt is finished, just needs blocking. It's been done for almost a week, but life got in the way. Pictures coming soon! I've got a few more inches to do on the body of the pink cardigan, and am almost done with the Trekking socks. I've somewhat lost the will to work on those - maybe I'll take them to Knit night tomorrow - they're good mindless knitting.

And now, Gena tagged me for a meme - here goes!

Four jobs I have had:
1. Nanny - I spent the last year being a nanny to a great family. I love kids, and can't wait to have my own...although, most days I was glad to be able to go home to my quiet place!
2. Farm girl - When I was 16, I worked at the produce stand at the farm across the street for a summer. I appreciate fresh veggies much more now then I did then.
3. Preschool Teacher - I was the assisstant vocab. teacher at a preschool for deaf children for two years. It was one of the hardest and most rewarding things I've ever done - I miss those kids!
4. Jason's Deli - I was the delivery coordinator/order taker at Jason's Deli in high school and summers/holidays in college. My first "real" job. It was almost a year before I ate there again - I found one of my old hats while packing up and it still smells of corned beef!

Four places I have lived:
1. Charlotte, NC - only for the first 6 months of my life, so I have no real memories
2. East Bend, NC - I grew up in this tiny town, in the middle of a farm, lived there until I went away to college.
3. Cullowhee, NC - spent 2 years at Western Carolina University. Made some great friends, but school wasn't for me.
4. Winston Salem, NC - lived in Ardmore for the past 3 years, and just moved into a new apartment this week!

Four Favorite Foods:
1. pasta - pretty much any kind, any time!
2. omlets - I rarely eat breakfast, but I love a good omlet
3. potato - mashed, baked, french fries, hashbrowns.....bring it on!
4. blueberries - my parents have bushes, yum....

Four places I would rather be:
1. London...it's been so long since I've been there
2. relaxing on a beach somewhere
3. in New York - I missed the family trip this year.
4. sleeping - darn you, caffeine!

soo, I tag:
1. Laura
2. Laurie
3. Amy
4. Mickenzie

lazy

2007-08-12T16:32:00.000-04:00

Today is the last of my time off - the family I work for was out of town, so I had a pretty light week. So, I am spending my last day just hanging out before the crazyness starts.

I've been working almost exclusively on the pink cardigan. I am

really enjoying working with the silky wool. I made it through all

the raglan increases last night, and separated off the sleeves. I can't wait to wear it!

Since I have been so focused on the sweater, I have hardly done any work on the skirt or my socks. I plan to work on the skirt tonight...it's sooo close.

Yesterday I got my Dishcloth Exchange package in the mail - all the way from the UK! Thanks so much Melanie! First, I got a great notecard with a panda on the front - my favorite animal. :) She made to two beautiful washcloths - they are so soft, and I love the pattern. She included some fun patterns, and 2 skeins of Rowan handknit cotton; one in pink and one in orange. I can't wait to try it, I've never used this yarn before. She also sent some very neat candy - I've eaten almost all the "fruit salad gums" already, they are really good. I just realized I forgot to photograph the soap she sent - I'll have to get it next time. She sent two bars of very yummy soap - one in a coconut scent, and one called Rock Star. They both smell so good. I could smell them from outside the box, and I couldn't wait to open it up. Thanks again Melanie!

Well, it's off to the grocery store, then I'm sitting down with my knitting and Gilmore Girls. Sounds like a perfect Sunday afternoon to me!

busy, busy

2007-08-09T20:37:00.000-04:00

Once again, it's been a while.... Life has been a little crazy lately. I will probably not be posting too much this month - Mick and I found an apartment and are moving in next week, and then my job starts the following week, so I doubt I'll have much time to knit, let alone blog. However, I plan to spend the weekend with my yarn.

I'm almost done with the Ogee Lace Skirt. The skirt body is done, and just the finishing is left. I got distracted by Marilyn's Not So Shrunken Cardigan, from Knit and Tonic. This picture is just a swatch, but I'm about 5 inches down the raglan increases now. I'm using Elsebeth Lavold's Silky Wool and I love it! I can't wait to get this cardi done - I think it'll be perfect over a button down shirt or a tank.

My trekking socks are moving along. I finished the first one, and

have started the heel flap on the second. I'll probably take these

while I babysit tomorrow night.

This dishcloth is the Woozy Cloth from smarieknits. I made it for my Dog Days of Summer partner. I just finished packing her box and it'll be in the mail first thing tomorrow. The dishcloth was so fun and quick to make - I almost don't want to give it away! I can see myself making more of these. The stitch pattern is the same one used in Knitty's Breeze socks...I think I have some yarn in the stash that might work for those - hmmm.

overdue

2007-08-03T16:50:00.000-04:00

After an insanely busy week, I finally have a chance to sit down and catch up - I didn't realize how long it had been since I've blogged.

Thanks for everyone thinking of me during my interview - it did the trick - I got the job! I start in 2 weeks - enough time to (hopefully) find an apartment, get used to the idea of a "real" job - and buy some new clothing! Being a nanny doesn't really require any business-wear, so my closet is mostly full of jeans and tank tops. I may take advantage of the tax free weekend and fight the crowds tomorrow.

In knitting news...the Jaywalker Sassy Stripes are pushed to the

back burner again. I had just finished the heel and picked up my

guesset stitches when I realized there is no way this sock will fit my foot. I was making them more like anklets, so it's not a ton of work down the drain...but I was so excited. Right now they're just sitting in my knitting basket until I can stand to deal with them again.

In other sock news, I cast on for another pair of Trekking socks, in the

100 colorway. I really like them alot. I love the way the colors stripe,

but without too much definition. I took them to the mall with J today - he played in the "tot-spot" (a favorite activity when it's too hot for the park) and I sat and knit. I saw fellow knitting buddy and nanny Melinda there too, with one of the kids she watches!

I am making progress on the skirt! I love, love, love it! I'm halfway through the last repeat, and I should be done by next week. I posted this to the Interweave KAL a few weeks ago, and had a question about the provisional cast on. I used this tutorial, from the Diet Diary, when I learned to do a provisional cast on. It's super-easy. I used some spare KnitPicks shine for the chain.

Well, I'm off to find some dinner, then sit down with Gilmore Girls and the skirt - Mick has the whole series on dvd, and I watched sporadically over the years. We started Season One a few days ago. I also need to finish packing my box for my Discloth Exchange pal. I picked up some fun things today.

finished

2007-07-25T15:44:00.000-04:00

Well, yesterday I finished up both my Trekking socks and Harry Potter. I'm sad the series is done, but I'm happy with how things wrapped up.

The Trekking socks are off the needles - and they look great, if I do say so myself. They match almost perfectly! You can see a spot where my guage must've changed momentarily after the gusset. The brown and cream fairisle-y section is a little wonky - but I love it. It wasn't as hard as I thought to make them match - in fact, knowing that I started in the same place helped me make sure the socks turned out the same length - which I tend to have a problem with when doing plain stockinette or ribbed socks. I can't wait until fall, so that I actually have a reason to wear these!

Pattern: Basic Sock from Ann Budd's Handy book of Patterns

Yarn: Trekking 126

Needles: size 1.5 bamboo dpns

Time: one week

I just cast on for my next pair as well - Jaywalkers using the purple Sassy Stripes yarn. I clearly am the only knitter to have not knit these. When I added them to my ravelry notebook, I suddenly had one more project in common with almost all my "neighbors!" Several months ago I started some stockinette socks in this yarn, but they were tiny - I am recyling them for the Jaywalkers - I think the stripes will look good. I'll post pictures once I have more done. I'm having fun with this Summer of Socks - I don't have a specific goal in mind, but would like to use up a lot of what I have stashed away...no more new yarn for me!

My poor skirt has been sadly neglected. I didn't want to take it while traveling, and I just haven't had the time to sit down with something that needs concentration. Hopefully there will be updates soon. I'm out of town again this weekend, for another wedding.

In other news, I have a job interview tomorrow! I'm a little nervous, but just getting the interview makes me more optomistic. I really need a new job, though I'll be sad to leave the kids. So, wish me luck!

back to the grind

2007-07-23T17:35:00.000-04:00

This weekend my roommate Mickenzie and I went to Georgia for a little mini-vacation. We stayed with her family, and then stopped to have dinner with my uncle on the way home last night. It was a fun trip, and quite relaxing. Mick has the cutest little neice, and she and another little cousin provided tons of entertainment.

The car ride there and back provided tons of knitting time, and my

trekking socks are moving right along. I'm almost done with the guesset decreases on the second one. They are matching up very nicely. Since they are just stockinette, they are super easy. I finally picked up Harry Potter this weekend and after dinner I'm sitting down with it - and maybe the socks, since they require very little attention.

I've been doing a lot of dishcloths this summer, too. I made some for my Mom and Grandma, and now all my Aunts want them too! They are so quick - a little instant gratification, anyone? Also, dishcloth cotton is so cheap, and it gives me a chance to use all the fun colors I'd never wear. I picked up some yarn for my Dog Days of Summer pal, and now I need to pick out a pattern to go with it.

Ice Cream

2007-07-18T14:35:00.000-04:00

Well, so far this week has been exceptionally quiet with the kids, so much knitting has been done! K had a friend over this morning, and they played with J very nicely...so I had an easy morning. They're both just up from quiet time and we're putting in a dvd, so I'm good for another hour and a half :)

I finished my Knit Picky Socks last night! They went pretty quickly and I'm very happy with them. The colors are not something I would pick out on my own, but I really like it - very cheerful! I love the way the yarn worked up - no pooling or flashing, just a very nice variegation. (Great job, Laura!)The socks fit well - I'm finally getting to where my socks fit, and aren't too tight. In fact, I probably could've made these a teeny bit tighter, but I think they'll be good. I had a little yarn left and I made a sock for my keyring sock blocker while watching the British/original version of The Office last night.

Pattern: My own, sort of cobbled together from other patterns

Needles: size 2 bamboo dpns

Yarn: FootPrints by The Painted Sheep - Knit Picky Colorway :)

Time: just over a week

This morning I cast on for a new sock in Trekking XXL. I'm trying to keep socks on the needles at all times to keep up steam for Summer of Socks - and to pare down my stash a little. My last socks looked like rainbow sherbet, and these look like Neapolitan Ice Cream...yum! I'm using my Chrystal Palace dpns for the first time, and I really like them.

I'm moving along on the Ogee Lace Skirt as well. No new pictures, but I'm about halfway done with the body of the skirt. It's a really fun knit, but I'm enjoying having a simple stockinette sock that requires little thinking and no eye-crossing charts.

Sleepy Sunday

2007-07-15T16:38:00.000-04:00

After a quite busy weekend, I am sitting down to relax a little this afternoon. I've been catching up on my knitblogs and such, and just uploaded some new photos to share.

I've made quite a bit of progress on my Knit Picky socks! I've got the first one done, and am ready to start the heel flap on number 2. They are really going quick. I took them by Knit Picky on Saturday to show them off during Laura's launch party of The Painted Sheep! Mimosas, cake and knitting buddies - doesn't get much better than that.

I've also made good progress on the Ogee Lace Skirt, which I am falling in love with. I've made it through the first (of three) pattern repeats, and one ball of yarn. I can't wait to wear it. In fact, I'm planning to sew up a white a-line skirt to wear under it, and I may swing by a fabric store today and pick some up.

Well, I'm off to finish reading blogs and then off to the grocery store...

monkeying around

2007-07-11T11:38:00.000-04:00

The monkey socks are off the needles and on my feet! I think these might be my favorite socks - they fit perfectly, and the look couldn't be better. I had a hard time getting a true color picture, but these ones came out alright.

Pattern: Monkey by Cookie A.

Yarn: Miss Bab's Superwash Sock Yarn in Chocolate Roses

Needles: size 2 bamboo dpns

Time: about 2.5 weeks

Mods: none really - only did 4 pattern repeats for the leg. Fantastic pattern - I want more monkeys!
I've cast on for my next pair of socks too. I got my first kit from the Knit Picky sock club last week, and started a ribbed sock with my new yarn from the Painted Sheep - in the Knit Picky colorway! I can't wait til Laura is open for business. This will probably be my at work project. I've also started the Ogee Lace skirt from the Summer IK - it requires a bit more attention. I hope to have pictures soon.

long weekend.

2007-07-07T16:22:00.000-04:00

I've had a long weekend off work this week, but it has been busy. I finally put on the Rusted Root this morning, and hit up Mick and my Mom for their photography skills....s0 here we go!(ps - does anyone know how I can make my pics appear side to side, so my post isn't sooo long?)

Pattern: Zephyr Girls Rusted Root, size small

Yarn: Cascade Sierra in Charcoal

Needles: Size 7 addis

Time: a little over 2 weeks

Mods: Started with neck ribbing instead of picking up stitches, and made the bottom ribbing a little shorter.

I had a lot of fun with this pattern - it went pretty quick, and I loved the yarn (although I think it was improperly named - chocolate would be better, don't you think?)

I'm still working on my Monkey socks - I'm starting the gusset decreases on the second one now. I still can't get over how perfect the yarn is for the pattern. I am babysitting tonight, and should make good progress once the kids are in bed.

My family recently went to New York to visit my Mom's family. I was unable to go, what with moving and work. Maybe next time. However, my Grandma, a former knitter, sent me a big box of fun! :) She sent a very cool vintage project basket, and a ton of vintage needles, hooks and notions. I have had so much fun playing with them. Well, I'm off to search for a birthday gift for my Mom...any ideas?

woo hoo!

2007-07-03T14:43:00.000-04:00

I am finally, officially, all moved out of my house - keys turned in and everything. Whew. I'm still getting settled into Grandma's, and my parents garage is full of my stuff - I have no idea where I got so much STUFF. It took me all last week, and a very long weekend of packing and cleaning - and hardly any knitting!

I have Wednesday and Thurday off this week for the holiday, and I am looking forward to some lazy knitting and tv time. I did finish off my Rusted Root last week at Knit Night, and I weaved in my ends a few days ago. Hopefully there will be photos coming soon. I've finished the first Monkey sock, and cast on for the other - as soon as I finish this post I'm going to work on that.

Well, I finished my Chickami a while ago, but didn't have very good pics. These aren't so great, but they'll do. (It looks much better in person.) This was a fabulous pattern - easy and well written. It has the best underarm shaping ever! I will definitely make this again - I have some red Berrocco Ultra Silk that would be nice.

Pattern: ChicKami by Bonne Marie Burns of Chicknits
Yarn: KnitOneCrochetToo's Wick
Needles: KP's Options 6 and 8
Time: about 2 weeks?
Modifications: none!

Dishcloth Exchange Questionnaire

2007-07-02T09:25:00.001-04:00

I promise I'll write a real post soon - The move is finished as of today. Anyway - I joined another swap, and here is my questionnaire....

Do you knit, or crochet, or do both? I do both, although primarily knitting
How long have you been knitting\crocheting? I've been crocheting for about 3 years, and kniting for 2.5 - although only seriously knitting since December.
Have you knit dishcloths or dishtowels before? yes - many dishcloths
What are your favorite cotton yarns? For dishrags, I like to use the Peaches/Sugar n' Cream - it holds up well to use. For bathroom Washcloths I like to use KnitPicks Shine.
Is there a cotton or linen you’ve been dying to try but have not? I'd love to try the Crystal Palace Cotton Chenille.
Are there any cotton yarns you don’t enjoy knitting with? I don't really like mercerized cottons very much- but I'm open to trying more.
What type of needle do you prefer using? (Metal/Wood/Plastic) both metal and wood, though I find metal is better for cottons.
What other projects do you enjoy knitting and crocheting? I love to do bags, socks and sweaters.
Do you have other hobbies or enjoy other kinds of crafting? Quilting, rubber stamping/papercrafts, sewing, Reading
What kind of treats do you like? Chocolate? Candies? Nuts? I love any sort of chocolates, can't have hard/sticky candies due to in-progress dental work. I dont' really like nuts, except peanuts and cashews.
What colors are your kitchen and bath decorated in, if any? I'm in the midst of a move, so I have no idea what things will be like when we get settled.
What are your favorite colors and what colors do you dislike? I love pinks and reds, blue/greens and purples. I don't like neons.
Do you drink coffee? Tea? Other beverages? I drink both coffee and tea - my favorite summer drink is cheery koolaid.
Do you have any kids (human or pet variety!)? nope
Do you have any allergies? cats
Please share 3 tidbits about yourself that you think your pal and other swappers might find odd or interesting. hmmm
1. I love panda bears - I have several stuffed ones.
2. I'm addicted to office supplies, especially post-it notes.
3. I love to watch tv on dvd.

I'm so excited for this swap. I love dishcloths - instant gratification! and this sounds like a fun one.

socks and swaps

2007-06-26T15:09:00.000-04:00

I know I haven't been updating tons lately - I want to, but in between working non-stop and moving, I'm hardly ever online.

I'm still trucking on my Monkey's for Summer of Socks. I love the way the Miss Babs yarn looks - it is perfect for this pattern. I'm having a hard time getting a good picture of it though. The Rusted Root is flying - I only have a few more inches to go. It's been a fun knit.

So, I recently did a sock kit swap through livejournal - It was so much fun! I packed up a kit for Marianne, but I'm not sure if it's gotten to her yet, so I won't spoil what I put in it. I got my kit from Becca on Friday. She hand-dyed me some super cool yarn, AND got me some Jitterbug, which I've been dying to try - as well as some of the Knitpicks dnps, which I've been wanting to try. I love my bamboo needles, but after a while they tend to get splintery at the ends - I'm looking forward to trying the metal ones with my new sock yarn! I also got a book, a travel journal, some tea, awesome handmade soap, a rose applique and some Mary Kay samples. It was so fun to get home from a long day at work and get a fun package. Becca also made me my ravelry button, in the links section of my blog.
Speaking of, I am loving ravelry! It's so much fun to see what other people are knitting, and finding other people making the same things as me. I've been digging through my photo's adn trying to get updated - what a great way to keep up with my things.

Alright, time to get packing - my brother is coming to help me move some boxes...so I guess I should pack them up :)

Summertime :)

2007-06-21T21:34:00.000-04:00

I kicked off the first day of Summer with some knitting, reading and a sunburn. I took the kids to the pool today, and spent some time reading the lastest Stephanie Plum novel. I didn't put on quite enough sunscreen, but I think I'll recover.As you can see above, I have also started on my Summer of Socks venture! I cast on for the Monkey Socks with my Miss Bab's handdyed in Chocolate Roses - yum. I've made it through the ribbing and the first pattern repeat.

I've also made a good deal of progress on my Rusted Root. I haven't worked on it today, but I have done lots the last few days. I think I'm really going to like it - It took me a few tries to get a hang of the lace pattern, but with the help of some sticky notes I've figured it out.

Happy Summer everyone!

slow down

2007-06-19T14:38:00.000-04:00

Whew - I didn't realize how long it had been since I posted! Life has been incredibly crazy, but good. My best friend Mickenzie has moved here from Florida, and we spent last weekend at a wedding. In between work, weddings and moving, I've been neglecting my little blog - but I did knit whenever I had the chance. My dad and brothers came over last night to move my big furniture, and under my bed was my missing camera cord - now we have pictures, too! Our cable/internet is off during the move, so my updates may not be quite as frequent.

Here is a pic of Mickenzie and I all dressed up in our bridesmaids dresses - it was soo much fun. The night before we left I whipped up a garter for the bride. I ended up crocheting it, because I couldn't find a pattern I loved, and it's a little easier for me to just make something up with crochet. It's done with a G6 hook and Cascade fixation yarn, and thin white ribbon. The "pattern" is my own, and it took about 30-45 minutes.

I've also finished my ChickAmi, but will save the pics of that for
later - I don't look very good in them ;). I have broken down and started the Rusted Root. I had to start it twice, but it's finally making progress. I am about 1/2way down the sleeves, and 3 lace repeats in. I am using Cascade Sierra, and it feels so good. I can't wait to wear it!

I missed the Charity Knit Night last night, since it was the only time my Dad had available for moving. I hope it went well! I will be at Knit Night tomorrow night, though - I can't wait.

Well, I'm off - I just checked my email, and I got my RAVELRY invite! Woo hoo - I'm off to play!

KIP

2007-06-10T21:40:00.000-04:00

Mickenzie is due to arrive to my house in the next 30 minutes, so I thought I'd do a quick update to keep me busy while I wait for her. (I'm sooo excited!)

My camera cord is MIA again, so no pictures today - hopefully soon.

Yesterday was WorldWide Knit in Public Day! Kristen, Gena and I celebrated by knitting, well, all day. Kristen and I met for lunch at Panera, where we did a little knitting - and also ran into my roomates! After that, we headed to Angelina's Teas, where we met Gena for even more knitting. Angelina's is a very cute local tea shop, with tons of different teas. We knit for a few hours there on our respective projects. That was all of our public knitting, but since we each had totally free evenings(!), we headed over to Gena's apartment for movies and more knitting. It was such a wonderful day, and so fun to get to hang out with friends and just relax.

I worked on my ChicKami top, and got a LOT done, several inches. I made it right to where I need to split for the armholes. I had hoped to get more done today, but I've been working on a little packing and cleaning up, mostly. I think it'll just take me a few more hours to be done - hopefully ready to wear by Wednesday.

While I worked on some packing, I did get caught up on my podcasts. I'm all caught up on Stash and Burn, and listened to the most recent Lime and Violets. I've also come across a newer postcast called Socks in the City and listened to the first two of those. I think there are seven so far.

2 days...

2007-06-07T21:36:00.000-04:00

Tonight my little sister graduated from high school. Congratulations Em! I gave her some bath stuff, and the green cabled Schulana socks - she loved them, and they fit her perfectly! I'm so glad. Below is a picture of me and my siblings - we tried to get a good one, and well - this is as good as it gets. (My brothers are usually making faces like that anyway.)

I finished my second pair of Schulana socks today-the Rainy Day socks! The ends still need weaving in, but I tucked them under for pictures. I really enjoyed knitting this pattern - it was easy to memorize, went quickly and the lace has good stretch to it. They feel soo good on my feet! I did 5 pattern repeats for the leg, and 17 total for the sock. I love knitting socks with clearly defined pattern repeats, because it's so much easier to make sure the socks will turn out exactly the same length - I'm always a little off with just a rib or stockinette pattern, it seems. Pattern: Magknit's Rainy Day Socks

Yarn: Schulana merino cotton (1.2 balls)

Needles: size 3 & 4 bamboo dpns 6 inch

Time: 6 days (some days being multiple hour knitting)

Mods: I did a ribbing instead of the picot edging, and shortened the cuff, as usual. I also did a slip stitch heel, rather than the plain stockinette heel - I like the added texture.

In other FO news, the Booga bag is done. I put it in the wash to felt on Tuesday night, and I put the handles on last night. I am pretty pleased with it. It is smaller than I envisioned - although the measurements are pretty on. I think I may do another one with Patons SWS and make it a little bigger. I took some before and after shots, with a Kleenex box for scale.

Pattern: Black Sheep Bags (Julie Anderson) Booga Bag

Yarn: Noro Kureyon - almost 3 skeins

Needles: 10.5 clover circular - 16 inch, clover 10.5 dpns

Time: about a week and a half

Mods: None!

And last, I am finally making progress on the Chickami! I got it restarted, and then I put it aside in favor of the Rainy Day socks. Then when I picked it up again, I realized to avoid pooling/flashing, I needed to be alternating skeins every few rows. I knew I would be unhappy with it otherwise. But the thought of actually having to DO it was unsettling. So, on Wednesday I left my socks at home, and took the Chickami with me - I would HAVE to work on it. And now it's flying along. Switching skeins isn't that big of a deal - I'm just carrying up the side "seam." I imagine this tank will get the bulk of my attention the next few days, with nothing else big on the needles. I will probably start another pair of socks soon - I am thinking of trying toe-up next!

*the color in the picture is off - It's much more subdued and pretty than this! 2 more days until my new roomie gets here :) hope the packing is going well, Mick!

still raining

2007-06-05T22:14:00.000-04:00

So, the rain continues, on and off - and I am flying along with my socks. I'm with the kids all day this week, and so far, I've had lots of time to knit. As they get older, they play together better. Today they did a "ballet" for me to the Nutcracker soundtrack - they danced for almost 40 minutes, and I was able to sit on the couch and knit away. I think I can get the pair finished tomorrow, if we have another good day!I have finished my Booga bag, and it is felting as I type. It's in for the second wash right now - it was definitely smaller, and fuzzy, when I pulled it out the first time, but there was still a lot of sitch definition. I hope this wash does it, because I'm tired - but I want to block it out and leave it to dry overnight/tomorrow. Hopefully I'll have pictures to show off soon!

and the rain, rain, rain came down, down, down

2007-06-03T15:30:00.000-04:00

Heaven knows we need the rain, but it's making for a rather gloomy Sunday. It's been alternating between downpours and misty rain all day. Appropriately enough, I'm currently knitting the Rainy Day Socks from Magknits. I'm knitting them in purple Schulana - so far, so good. I did a 2x1 rib rather than the picot edge - I didn't have a hook when I started, and I think the ribbing will help them stay up better. The pattern is easily memorized, and goes pretty quick.On Saturday, I met Kristen for a delicious lunch of veggie quesadillas, then some hangout time at KnitPicky. We chatted and knit with Juli, Susan and Frann for a few hours - it was nice to just relax for a while! I re-started the Chickami, and am back up to where I was when I ripped - sorry, no pictures yet.

Well, I guess I'll make the best of the rainy Sunday evening, and veg out with a movie and my sock...maybe later on I'll do some packing - yuck!

bag lady

2007-06-01T16:08:00.000-04:00

So, Laurie of Crazy Aunt Purl is one of my favorite knitbloggers. Her most recent post discusses women and the need for a large purse. While I have some very cute small purses, I usually carry a Vera tote or my Namaste bag - both capable of holding lots of stuff. A quick look into my "purse" today shows my wallet, sunglasses, a ponytail holder, my camera, half a Mr. Goodbar, 3 types of chapstick/lipgloss, tissues, scissors, a crochet hook, nail clippers, keys, cellphone, mini Moleskine notebook, a half done baby hat, spare dpns, tic tacs, pink ipod, lotion, measuring tape, library book and a movie to return to Blockbuster. And well, lets just say this is a good week - it's been much worse. Also, the family I nanny for is on vacation this week - if they were here I'd probaby also have wet wipes, a security blanket and a juice cup.

In the comments on the post, many women left stories of odd things they keep in their purse. One day, a few years ago, I was having lunch at a Chinese restaurant with my old boss, Rhonda. Rhonda had ordered hot tea, and was lamenting that there was no spoon - obviously they thought she wouldn't need to add sugar. Well, as luck would have it, I had a spoon in my purse. I don't know how, or why, but there it was. Sometimes, being a bag lady comes in handy.

I haven't any knitting related progress to share since last night. I got about 15 rounds in on my chickami, and realized my guage has changed since the swatch. So, I need to rip back and go up a needle size so I can actually wear the top.

I joined a sock kit swap over on livejournal, and I am so excited. We get matched with our sock partners soon! I've never done a swap/secret pal thing before. I have some very fun ideas for little goodies to send with my kit.

I saw today that KnitPicks has some new needles in - the expanded their line of the 16 in. classic circs. I'm hoping they get a 16 in. cable for the options set - I'd love to have that. I've been thinking about picking up some of their dpns. I like that they have them in a 6 inch size - I'd like to try metal needles for my socks, but the Susan Bates ones are the only ones readily available here and they are just too long for me - I like 5 or 6 inch sock needles. I usually use bamboo, since I won a lot of them on ebay a while back. Has anyone used the KnitPicks dpns?

Well, this bag lady is going to get to the ripping - hopefully I can make up for the progress on my Chickami tonight while babysitting.

Prosperous Plum is finished!

2007-05-31T20:51:00.000-04:00

As of about 4:00 yesterday afternoon, the Prosperous Plum tank is off the needles! I did a quick blocking, then hit Old Navy for a cami to wear underneath it. Then, off to be shown off at Knit Night. Juli took some pictures of me so I could post them. I meant to do this last night, but my camera cord went missing.

I had so much fun knitting this top. The pattern is very well written, and easy to follow - and free! I learned a ton of new stuff too - a provisional (crocheted) cast on, picot edge and how to read a chart. I can definitely see this being a top I wear often.

Pattern: Prosperous Plum by Joanna C.

Yarn: 2 1/2 skeins of Lion Brand Cotton Ease in Violet

Needles: size 7 addis, 24 in

Time: about 3 weeks

Modifications: I changed to cable on chart A to cable back - I needed the symmetry. Other than that, I knit pretty much exactly the pattern. The only thing I'd do differently is to make it a little longer. (Although, I think with a good blocking, it might stretch out some.) My chest always takes us more space than I think, and it pulls up the fabric some. I knit it with about 6 inches of negative ease - and it fits just great.

In other knitting news, I've just started the ChickAmi from Chicknits. I'm using some blue/green Wick I got a Knit Picky a few weeks ago. I am loving this yarn! I casted on and worked the ribbing while watching Because I Said So - cute movie. My roomates are all out tonight, so I'm just hanging out with some knitting and tv.

My booga bag is getting there. The body of the bag is finished, and I started the I-cord for the handles at Knit Night last night. It was the perfect project for that - mindless, and allowed for knitting, chatting and eating. It was birthday night, and there was some great food. Pat brought apples and 2 kinds of dip - caramel apple and key lime....YUM! There was a great crowd last night, most of the regular crew. We missed you Kristen - hope work isn't keeping you too busy!

Thanks Juli, for showing me the html to link my pics - Look, I have buttons now - with links!

happy memorial day!

2007-05-28T20:46:00.000-04:00

If only every weekend were a long weekend! This one was especially nice - there was not much knitting, but I intend to remedy that right after this post is finished.

One of my best friends, Anna, spent the weekend. We spent Friday night relaxing with my roomates - we grilled out, took a walk down to the bar at First Street, then sat out and chatted with a pitcher of cosmos. It doesn't get much better than that! (Mickenzie - I can't wait until you're here, so we we can do this again!) We spent Saturday at a friend's wedding, then did some shopping and a movie.

I had the day off work today - and it was gorgeous outside! My roomates and I washed our cars in the yard this afternoon, then grilled out and watched Happy Feet this evening - its soo cute. Now that it's a little cooler, I'm going to sit by my window and enjoy the breeze with some knitting, and maybe another movie.

I've made a little more progress on the PP tank - Hopefully, I'll be able to finish it up tomorrow evening. I've decreased down to just the pattern part, so the straps should go quickly. Maybe it'll make it to Knit Night this week!

Although there wasn't tons of knitting this week, there was lots of yarn buying - I spent quite a bit of time at Knit Picky, and stocked up during the big sale. I'll be back for Sock day later this week, but after that, I'm gong to need to cut down - I have a lot of projects that need to be done, before I should buy any more yarn. I picked up a couple of skeins of Noro Kureyon, and decided to make a Booga bag. It goes so fast, since it's just knit in a straight tube! I love the way the Noro stripes, but it is awfully scratchy - my hands get so dry working with it. But I've seen it felted, and it looks so good. This will be my first felting experience. If all goes well, I might make Magknit's Sophie bag next.

a spare moment

2007-05-22T21:41:00.000-04:00

I've been meaning to post for days, but as usual, time slips away. I have a bit more spare time this week. (I hope!) One of my dearest friends, Betsey, got married on Saturday so my week was full of wedding stuff. I will try to post some pictures once we get them back - none of the ones I took came out very well. This was my first time being a bridesmaid, and it was a lot of fun, but I'm glad to be done. I'm in another wedding in June, and I'm so excited for that one too- but I'm exhausted!

Since I don't have any wedding photos, I'll show you the thong I knit for the lingerie shower. Bets loved it - and it was an amazingly quick knit. It's the Valentine's Day thong from the Stitch & Bitch daily calendar, knit from black fixation on size 5 needles. Quick and fun!
On the knitting front - I've made some progress on the PP tank, but haven't touched it since last Wednesday. I was hoping to have it done in time to wear to Knit Night tomorrow, but I don't think I'll make it. I've just bound off the back, and am getting ready to separate the front for the V-neck and straps. I pulled it on over my shirt, and it looks like it's going to fit just right.I finished my Schulana socks today. They were fun to knit - however, they are a little too small. They feel fine, but the pattern is really stretched out. So, I think these will be a graduation gift for my little sister, Emily. Each sock took about 3 days to knit, but there was a few days inbetween. The yarn is soo soft and squishy. I have more, so now that I know my gauge, I'll pick a new pattern and go from there for socks for me!And it's back to the knitting for me!

Hi Mick!

2007-05-14T18:18:00.000-04:00

I've spent a lot of time the last few days reading others knitting blogs, and have finally sat down to update my own. One of my best friends, (soon to be roommate!) Mickenzie, just made a blog too- go check it out! Mick is moving here in June and I can't wait! She is also very crafty.

I am taking a break from the Tube Toporini. Perhaps we were not meant to be. I put it on some waste yarn, and it doesn't look that great. It's a very cute top, so one day I will probably work on it again. I left a comment on the Zephyrstyle message board, but haven't been replied to yet.

So! I have started another summer top, the Prosperous Plum Tank by Joanna C. I am learning lots of new techniques, and I think it will be cute. I got a lot done yesterday evening, and I plan to sit down later tonight and do some more. It is more purple than blue, but I'm not good at finguring out how to take good pictures. I'm also changing the direction of one of the cables, to make it more symmetrical - thank you, Craftster message boards! I found a thread on there with a few changes that I prefer to the original.On Saturday, I took advantage of a brief moment of spare time in between work and dress fittings, and went over to Knit Picky for the Mother's Day festivities. Laura made some great snacks, and it was fun to chat with her, Jo and Susan. I did not really go with the intentions of purchasing anything, but they had a surprise sale! So, I picked up some sock yarn I'd been eyeing over my last few visits - Miss Bab's hand dyed in Chocolate Roses...does it get any better than that? I took a picture, and you can see it on her website too. I also picked up some Wick in a blue/green color that I think will become a ChicKami.

making progresss

2007-05-10T20:54:00.000-04:00

Well, life has slowed down for just a little bit - thank goodness! I've actually had a little bit of time to do some knitting. I started a sock in Schulana Merino Cotton- on sale at Knit Picky this month! I love working with it, and on size 3's it's going fast! I'm making the same sock Juli made; the cable sock from Knitlist. It's going pretty quick - I think I'll finish the first one tonight.I'm also slogging along on the Tube Toporini. The picture makes it appear to be the smae color as the sock, but it's not. The tank is sky blue, the socks are teal-ish. I left a comment on the Zephyrstyle message board earlier today, but the site isn't loading for me know. I hope someone can answer my gauge questions. For now I'll just work with what I've got!Alright, time for some Grey's Anatomy!

Catch up

2007-05-08T21:24:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since I posted - there's been very little knitting lately, but tons of other stuff. Since I last posted, I've .....gone to the dentist, written 5 papers, hosted a lingerie shower, attended a bridesmaids luncheon (ate the best cheesecake ever!), went on an awkward blind date, spent Sat/Sun in Hickory with friends, drove back to Winston with one of those friends, attempted to clean my room but really shoved everything under the bed, and went to my last class. whew!

I am totally worn out. I've finally caught up on my sleep, and since school is done, my mornings are free this week. Which means relaxing and knitting! Starting tomorrow night, I'm housesitting for a couple at church who'll be gone until Sunday. They have an incredible comfy couch and a huge tv with digital cable - I may spend the whole next few days knitting and vegging out in front of that tv!

I've been doing dress fittings and shopping with another bridesmaid this evening. Now that I'm home I'm going to sit down with some leftover chinese food, then work on a sock and watch Workout on Bravo.

I don't have any progress pictures to show, so instead here are a few recent yarn buys - fyi: WEBS (www.yarn.com) is having some big sales! I got some Cascade 220 superwash in royal purple for Knitty's BPT, and in a heathered teal color for Wicked by Zephyr girls. I got the Cherry Tree Hill supersock DK on ebay in Moody Blues and Indian Summer. I've got a lot to do!

Hello, my name is Karen

2007-05-02T14:57:00.001-04:00

...and I am a procrastinator. This has been the busiest week - it is my last week of classes (hooray!) and we have company coming this weekend. I haven't had much knitting time - I'm really looking forward to knit night at Knit Picky tonight. I can't wait to have a break from writing papers! (I had 4 papers due today...ugh.)

I met Kristen for some knitting over the weekend- it was great fun, as always. I worked on my Tube Toporini: take 2. I originally started it with KnitPicks shine, but due to gauge issues had ended up putting it aside. Then last week I got some Phildar Avisio, which had been intended for a cardigan - but the yarn actually wanted to be the tube top. So, I re-started that in the new yarn, and I am much more pleased. I'm not very impressed with the way the pattern is written, so I'm really using it more as a guideline. I've made it through a few cable repeats, but I haven't had a chance to pick it up for a few days.

I finished the first Sassy stripes sock - I guess I just wasn't paying very close attention. It looks great, but it's tiny! I knew it would be too tight, so i thought I'd give them to my younger sister, Emily. But I also started the toe too soon, so it has a very short foot. I may see if it fits Katie, and if so, they'll just be for her. Otherwise, I'll rip back the toe and extend the foot. What I really want to do is start new socks though....I've got the beautiful sock yarn Laurie gave me last week, and some Panda Cotton in blue denim - that will either become the Seduction Sock from the spring IK (free online pattern) or Jaywalkers - I just can't decide!

I don't have any progress photos to show today, so here is a photo of a baby blanket I crocheted about a year and a half ago. It was from a pattern book called Afghans by the Pound - I used the purple "Pound of Love" acrylic yarn from AC Moore or somewhere. I didn't have a baby to give it too, I just made it because I was housesitting for a week, and just needed something to keep me going.
Well, I guess if I get a little more work done, then I'll be good to spend the evening knitting - I need a break, or I'll go crazy!

birthday!

2007-04-26T20:36:00.000-04:00

Alright, time for the Thursday night update!

Well, last night at Knit Picky we had a fun birthday celebration for Kristen and I - it was so fun! Laurie (who gets to celebrate her birthday next week) brought some yummy ham & cheese puffs, cake and wine...it was delicous, and very fun! Kristen made me a great binder for keeping my patterns in, and I got some fabulous sock yarn and other little fun knitting things from Laurie. Most of the regular crew was there - it was one of the best birthday parties I've ever had. Thanks so much girls!

I also picked up some white Phildar Aviso for Knitty's Sitcom Chic. It's a raglan from the botton up, instead of the top down - maybe I'll learn some new stuff. I'm off to have some leftover birthday cake (which I may have also had for breakfast!), then watch Grey's Anatomy and swatch with my new yarn!

Busy, busy...

2007-04-23T22:12:00.000-04:00

This weekend kept me pretty busy, with little knitting time - and it doesn't look like the week ahead is slowing down much. But, since it's birthday week, most of what's coming up will be fun!

I had dinner and cake with my family this evening, since we can't get together later in the week. I wore my Green Gable and my Mom was quite impressed. I had hoped to make it to Knit Picky's first charity knitting night, but this was the only night both my folks and I were both free for dinner.

I've made a little progress on my sassy stripes sock - it is a little tight for me, so we'll see how it fits off the needles. They may end up being a graduation gift for my little sister, since they are her favorite color. I didn't take a picture - maybe next time.

What I have been doing, is knitting some dishcloths. I made one for my Mom a couple months ago, and she mentioned recently - oh so casually - that she would really like to have some more. They are quick to knit up, and easily portable. And I have a lot of Sugar and Cream cotton left over from a project a while back (seen below). (And because it was on sale at Michaels for 99 cents last week...) The ones in this picture are made with the Ballband Pattern from Maxon Dixon Knitting, the DW cloth, and a bias knit cloth. I thought these would be a good Mother's Day gift for Mom and Grandma, and do some stashbusting.

Just for fun, here is a picture of a bathmat I made a couple years ago. It was my first completed crochet project that wasn't a scarf or hat. I used the Flower Power pattern - it's free from Lily, but I think you have to register. I had a lot of cotton left over from this, because I bought an extra ball of each color...just in case. I had a lot of fun making it, and it's just so bright and cheerful.

ouch

2007-04-19T20:58:00.000-04:00

I had a root canal this morning - yuck. I can't really chew much for a while, and I'm still achy from where the novacaine needles went in. So, I made my favorite comfort food, and am sitting down with noodles and tomato soup, Grey's Anatomy and my stripey sock! I'm working on the gusset decreases now. This is the smallest gauge I've ever knit, but I'm suprised with how fast the sock is going.

(Pink) Green Gable

2007-04-18T21:29:00.000-04:00

The weather decided to take a day off from the wind and rain today, so I grabbed the chance to wear my Green Gable. It fits really well and I was comfortable in it all day. And well, we all know how I love pink! I went to Knit Picky tonight for open knit night, and AnnMarie took a picture for me. Kristen was there, wearing her fabulous Allegra top - check out pictures in her blog, too. AnnMarie got a really cute picture of both of us, too. Stats:
Pattern: Green Gable, by Zephyr Girls

Yarn: 2 1/2 skeins of Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece in Cherry Moon

Needles: size 7 Addi Turbos, 16 & 24 inches

Modifications: I started the decreases a little earlier, but I pretty much followed the pattern....ahh, raglan sleeves, how I love you :)

I started a sock today in Cascade Sassy Stripes - I cast on during my humanities class this morning (we were watching a video) and then worked on them a little this afternoon and again at Knit Night, in between cookies (thanks Laura!), wine and chatting with Laurie, Kristen, June and everyone else...boy, how's that for a run on sentence?!

Anyway, this is my first sock in "real" (teeny tiny) sock yarn - and on size 1 needles! It's gone pretty quickly, and I'm just sort of winging it, so we'll see how it goes. The yarn is knitting up into a great fabric.

Well, it's Wednesday, so I'm going to sit down with Bravo's latest show, Shear Genius, and my new sock!

Cropped Cardi

2007-04-17T19:31:00.000-04:00

I know I've been promising pictures, and I finally got around to it today. I stopped by Knit Picky after work today in search of yarn for a tank top - and left with yarn for socks. I was wearing my cardi today, and since there was a brief moment of not quite as much wind, Jo was able to take a picture for me! I also got one of my roommates to take a few later on.

I am really pleased with how this came out. It went so quickly and was a lot of fun. I think I'm going to make it again in a summery pink - I think the only change I would make is to go down a size. I have pretty slim shoulders, and this just wants to slip off. Part of this was my yarn choice, which if very drape-y. Also - the model in the pattern photo must have gigantic upper arm muscles - I decreased an inch off the arms and they are still very loose.

Stats:

Pattern: Blue Sky Cropped Cardigan
Yarn: Berocco Bonsai
Needles: size 10 & 11 clover circs, 29 inches, 10 & 11 bamboo dpns
Time: one week!
mods: decreased sleeves, made them a little shorter as well

Also, I wore the cutest shoes today with my cardi - and I can't help but show them off! (I love shoes!)

I've been a little behind on my blogging this week, so maybe I'll catch up a little more tomorrow night. I finished my Green Gable this weekend, so if the weather plays nice, maybe it'll get a day out soon!

thursday night routine

2007-04-12T20:15:00.000-04:00

Lately, my Thursday evenings have settled in to a nice little routine...I go to small group, grab some dinner, write a blog, then settle in with some knitting and my tv shows. Tonight is no different. :)

I finished the blue/green Broadripples for Katie yesterday. They turned out nicely and she was very pleased. She wore them to school today and showed them off! She already asked me to make a pair for her American Girl doll. I might use that teeny sock pattern that Laura posted in

her blog the other day. We had a fun time taking pictures of our socks together - I wore my pink ones today too.

Katie's socks took me 2 1/2 weeks, off and on...I followed the same pattern as before, and just went down a needle size to make them smaller.

Last night, I made some more progress on my Green Gable at Open Knit Night. After I got home, I put it on some waste yarn and tried it on. I think it's going to fit really well. I got nervous after reading some blogs where people had trouble with the sizing, but so far mine looks good. I've got a few more inches to go - stockinette in the round goes fast!

Happy Easter!

2007-04-08T20:37:00.000-04:00

It was pretty chilly today, so I wore my new cardi to church this morning. I didn't get a good picture yet (but soon!), but I did get several compliments. I'm still looking for the right sort of clasp/button for the front, so for the time being I loosely attached an i-cord to tie the fronts together.

I didn't do much knitting this weekend - I spent the last few days in Hickory with one of my best friends. I'm a bridesmaid in her wedding this June; we spent the weekend sewing table runners for her reception.

I haven't made any progress on Katie's socks, but I did get a little done on my Green Gable. Tonight I'm going to sit down with that, Desperate Housewives and a Ghiradelli Mint Bliss bar that my mom gave me today. Yum! I'm hoping to get finish the raglan increases and separate the sleeves tonight, so I can get working on the body.

one finished, one started

2007-04-04T23:04:00.000-04:00

So far, my break has been busy, but still leaving me with some good knitting time. Last night, Kristen had me over for some tv and knitting. I worked a little bit on Katie's second sock, and Kristen worked on her twist front top - which is incredibly georgous. I can't wait to see her wear it. She took a picture of my socks for me, and so I finally have one that shows off the color well. I worked on it a little more today while the kids were playing in the yard, and I was sitting on the porch. It was beautiful today!

After that, I headed home and wove in all the ends on my Cropped Cardi. It's done, minus the blocking! I took it to Knit Night at Knit Picky tonight to show it off. (Thanks for all the compliments ladies!) I took a picture of it on Marilyn, but I'm going to wear it on Sunday, and I'll get my Mom to take a picture of me in it. I will definitely make this pattern again. Right now, it's held together with a spare dpn, but I plan to make some sort of pin to hold it together. My shoulders are not very broad at all, so it slips off a little - Kristen had a great idea to add some ribbon to the neckline, so I may explore that too.

I started on my Green (or pink) Gable tonight. I worked through some off the lace pattern, and I'm going to sit down with a movie and try to get a little more done tonight. I had some friends over briefly, and they've just left - but I have tomorrow off, so I can sleep in, so I'm going to stay up a little later. I'll take a picture of that later, but there isn't much to see now.

Meet Marilyn

2007-04-04T21:43:00.000-04:00

This is Marilyn, my faithful dressform. She is a little off from my actual proportions, but I haven't yet had a chance to reshape her lately. I call her Marilyn because she stands over the air vent in my sewing room - and if she's wearing a dress, her skirt may fly up, a la Marilyn Monroe. Here Marilyn models my fitted tank. I am putting this aside, and saying it's done - but we all know one day the neckline will get the best of me, and I'll rip it out and redo it. But until then, I'm considering it a Finished Object.

This was my first real garment, and even though I don't love it, I really learned a lot.

Stats:

pattern: Blue Sky Fitted Tank

yarn: 3 skiens Blue Sky Dyed Cotton in Pickle

needles: sixe 7 addi turbos

mods: I lowered the front neckline, and changed a the back decreases

time: about 2 1/2 weeks?

Does it get any better?

2007-04-02T23:30:00.000-04:00

After a day full of class, a test and a 3 1/2 hour dental appointment (yuck!), I am now officially on spring break. And what better way to start if off than this:
A nearly finished cardigan, wine, strawberry cheesecake and Sex and the City....sounds pretty good to me :)

Knit-aholic

2007-03-31T16:12:00.000-04:00

This weekend has been great for knitting. Last night I babysat for a friend and her son had missed his nap that afternoon, so he was asleep by 6:30! So from then until almost midnight, I watched 6 espisodes of Sex and the City (season 2), last nights episode of Six Degrees and an old Frasier rerun...and I knit 6 inches of 1x1 ribbing on the cropped cardi. I am so excited about this - I've been spending a lot of time on it, but it's going incredibly fast. I didn't have any problems separating the sleeves, which I had been nervous about.

Today Kristen and I met for lunch at Panera, and then hung out on their patio and worked on our respective projects for a while. I finished the body of the cardi and picked up the left sleeve stitches. I tried it on and it looks great - I think I need to decrease for the sleeves a little bit, but it seems almost perfect. It's so much fun to know more knitters my age - it was so nice to just hang out and enjoy the sunshine, good food, knitting and friends.

The blue and green Broadripples I started are turning out to be much smaller than I bargained for - which actually great, because they'll fit Katie (a girl I babysit for) perfectly. She's been asking for a pair of socks, and she's thrilled with them. I'm ready to do the toe on the first one. I'll probably finish it over the weekend, and wait to start the other one next week, so I can have her try it on and make sure it fits. I'm having a hard time getting the colors to show up well on the camera.

I've decided to start Green Gable next. I was out and about yesterday afternoon and picked up some Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece in Cherry Moon at Common Threads in Hight Point. I usually don't like short sleeve "sweaters" but this one keeps calling my name. I may swatch for it tonight while I babysit.

new project

2007-03-29T20:44:00.000-04:00

Well, I've moved the fitted tank to the finished list, but I may pull it back out and redo the neck finishing. I ended up crocheting around the neck, but it doesn't look fabulous. I just left the armholes as they are for now. I haven't gotten a good picture of it on yet, so maybe tomorrow.

So, since that's done I could cast on for the

Blue Sky Cropp ed Cardigan. I didn't want to start anything new until I was done with the tank, because I was afraid I'd just toss it in my knitting basket and leave it there. So, at Knit Night last night I got started on the cardi, which I already love. It's going super fast - since it's knit double stranded on size 11's. The recommended yarn is the Blue Sky sportweight alpaca, but I wanted this to be a little more lightweight. I'm using the new Berroco Bonsai in raku brown. It's a bamboo yarn, sort of ribbony, and incredibly soft. It's knitting up with great drape - I think this is my new favorite yarn.

I worked on it for about 2 hours at Knit Night, then came home and watched 2 episodes of Top Design and kept going. I did a few more rows this morning. I'm almost ready to place the sleeves on holders to work the body. I've got some homework I should be doing this evening, so after that I'm going to sit down with my knitting, a glass of wine and watch October Road. Sounds like a great evening to me. :)

Progress

2007-03-27T22:34:00.000-04:00

I'm almost done with the fitted tank! I had planned to have it seamed and finished on Sunday, but multiple events and a healthy dose of procrastination left it for today. I finally got it all seamed up this evening. I still need to finish off the neckline and armholes. I think I may crochet around them instead of picking up and purling off - I think I can manipulate the stitches a little easier that way.

Last night Carey and I checked out the Stitch and Bitch that meets at Krankie's Coffee on Monday nights from 7-9. It's a great coffee shop inside the Werehouse downtown. Any knitters in the Winston area should check it out. It was a small group, but lots of fun. I worked another repeat on my LR square and worked on a new sock. I started another Broadripple sock in lime green/blue fixation yesterday afternoon, and I worked on it this afternoon outside in the sunshine. I'm about halfway through the heel flap. I'm doing this one on size 2's and I think it'll fit a little better.

The sock will probably be my project for at work (bonus for being a nanny - knitting during naps and tv shows). When I'm finished with the tank, I'm going to cast on for the Blue Sky Cropped Cardi...can't wait. I might take that to Knit Nite tomorrow night and get started.

Weekend Knitting

2007-03-24T20:00:00.000-04:00

Well, first things first, I finished my Broadripple Socks on Wednesday afternoon and promptly put them on to wear to Knit Night at the LYS. They came out so great! I love them. (I would've posted sooner, but I had tons of schoolwork this week - and I suck at taking photos.)

This isn't a great photo, but I can't seem to get any that show the colors very well. I used the recommended Cascade Fixation, which was great to work with. I will definitely be using it again. I will probably make them again in another colorway - they are great spring socks! I used a size 3 needle, and had the recommended gauge from the pattern, but if/when I make them again I think I'll go down to a 2. They are a little slouchy on my leg, which is surprising, usually my socks are a little too tight. I did make the leg/cuff a few inches shorter, because I don't like my socks to be too tall.

Today was a great day for knitting! I took a short-row workshop at Knit Picky this morning. We learned how to do the wrap & turns, and picking up wraps, etc. It was a lot of fun, and the time flew by. This got us started on squares for the Lizard Ridge blanket from Knitty. I'm not sure I'll make a whole afghan, but maybe a pillow. The technique wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. Once I got it down, it went pretty quickly. But I forgot to do my color change after row 6...for some reason, I thought it was meant to go after row 12 (where you also change.) Later on (after I'd been home), I decided to rip out the rows in the wrong color, and make the change from the outside to the inside of the ball. My colors were almost the same, so it hardly makes a difference, but my little inner perfectionist feels better anyway. I also figured out that I was picking up my wraps backwards, and was able to avoid some of the ugly bumps in the first 6 rows. I'm considering trying out a sock with short row heels next, now that I understand the concept better.

After class, I had lunch with my new friend Carey, and we went to my house and watched Sherrybaby and knit some more. How fun to have a knitting buddy! Many of my friends are not knitters, and don't understand all my quirks. She worked on some socks and her Lizard Ridge Square, and I trucked along on my fitted tank. I've finished the armhole decreases and only have about 5 inches or so left to go on the back. I'm so close, and I'm getting tired of working on it. My goal for the rest of the evening is to finish the back, and maybe do some blocking, which will leave me with the seaming and finishing for tomorrow.

The weather is abolutely beautiful today. I sat on the roof outside my bedroom this evening (we don't really have a good porch) while I reworked my LR rows. It's too dark to do that now, so instead I'm going to leave the window open and sit by my window while I knit. Sounds like a perfect night to me!

Pictures!

2007-03-19T22:13:00.000-04:00

Last night I wrote a long post, complete with pictures (!) that disappeared somehow when I clicked on something I shouldn't have and ended up on a new page. And I was too tired and frustrated to do it again. But I have located my camera, so I thought I'd show off a few things before bed tonight.

First things first, check out my fabulous new Namaste bag! Knit Picky had a St. Patrick's Day sale on Saturday, and I picked up this great pink bag, some fun bamboo yarn for a cropped cardi, sock yarn and some patterns. As a girl who is always looking for the perfect bag, I am very pleased with this - I've had to stop myself from taking it everywhere I go...it would've looked a little silly while grocery shopping in my sweats on Sunday afternoon.

I didn't get too much done on my tank this weekend, but last night I worked a few more inches of ribbing on the back. This picture isn't very accurate to the color - in real life it's a little more grassy. I'm using Blue Sky Dyed Cotton in pickle. Also, it's not really lopsided like that! I just started it a week ago, so it's a pretty quick knit - I'd like to get it done by this weekend. I wasn't thrilled with the way the neckline is written. I started it a little lower than the pattern directed, and I think I'm going to play a little with the way I bind off along the neckline, to make it flow a little more smoothly. If I can get what I want, I may frog back the front to adjust. I'm not normally very adventurous when it comes to straying from a pattern, but I figure this is a good one to learn on.

I'm getting close on my Broadripple Socks. I love the pattern, and it works perfectly with the yarn - Cascade fixation. All my other socks have been a simple worsted weight rib pattern, so these are so fun and exciting - I love the way they're striping up. I hoped to finish them tonight, but I'm not quite there yet. Maybe tomorrow. I've knit a little further down the foot since this picture was taken, but I still have a few inches before the toe. These are going to be great spring socks - I can't wait to wear them! (I don't really have little midget feet, as the photo may suggest - I wear a size 7 show, which is pretty normal, I think...and the finished sock fits me perfectly.)

I am thinking there will not be much time for knitting tomorrow, as I have a large(ly unfinished) project due on Wednesday. But I will carry that sock everywhere I go, in hopes of completion.

Rainy Friday

2007-03-16T13:39:00.000-04:00

Ahh, North Carolina in the spring...warm and sunny yesterday, cold and rainy today. I have the afternoon off today, and I'm going to huddle down on the couch in a little bit with some tea, season 3 of Scrubs (hooray for tv on dvd) and some knitting. Before that, I'm going to do a little housecleaning, and hopefully my digital camera will show up in the process! I think this blogging thing will be a lot more fun when I can show off pictures of my progress.

Last night I knit my way right through The Office, Grey's Anatomy, and the premiere of October Road...the joys of Thursday TV night! I finished the front of my Fitted Tank. Several other girls from the group at Knit Picky are working on one as well. I'm not really that in love with it so far - yesterday I had a moment of panic where I was afraid it would be too long, and I'm not sure it's going to be that flattering on me. But I won't know until it's done, so I cast on for the back before I went to bed so that I wouldn't be tempted to just shove it in my bag and hide it away. It has been a fun and easy knit though.

Progress Pictures coming soon.....hopefully!

Everybody's Doing It...

2007-03-09T15:36:00.000-05:00

I've been slow about jumping onto the knit blog bandwagon, but decided to hop on today. I love to read other blogs, so I thought I'd try one out. And if no one reads it, at least I'll have a place to keep track of my projects.

This will be primarily a knitting blog, which is my current obsession. I'll probaby throw in the occasional sewn clothing and maybe a little crochet (my first love). So to get started, here's a little knitting survey so you can get to know me...

What’s your worst habit relating to your knitting? I'm not well organized - needles, yarn and half finished projects all over the place.
In what specific ways does your knitting make you a better person? It helps me to de-stress
How might you or your life be different if you were suddenly unable to knit? Well, I'd be quite sad...also, I'd watch less TV, which is what I do while knitting at home/at night.
If money were no object, what one yarn, and what one tool or gadget would you run out and buy first? Hmm...I'd probably buy alpaca/silk yarn and Addi Turbos or Lantern Moon circs...due to the budget, I'm only replacing my Susan Bates and Clover needles when neccessary...although I'm usually very happy with my clovers
What knitting technique or project type are you most afraid of (if any)? What, specifically, do you fear will happen when you try it? I'm intimidated by colorwork..I've done stripes, but beyond that I'm afraid of ending up with a tangled mess.
Do you consider knitting, for you personally, a mostly social activity, or a mostly solitary activity? It’s both, I knit alone often, but I love my knit nites at our LYS
Is there a particular regional tradition in knitting that you feel strongly drawn toward (e.g., Fair Isle, Scandinavian, Celtic, Orenburg lace)? Nothing in particular...I like classic looks
Some statistics:
(a) How many years have passed since you FIRST learned to knit? I was probably around 9 or 10, so about 13 years ago? (But I put down the needles when my Aunt Sue went back home, so I'm really a new knitter.)
(b) How many total years have you been actively, regularly knitting (i.e., they don’t have to have been in a row)? About 1.
(c) how many people have you taught to knit? None, but I did teach my sister to crochet.
(d) Roughly what percentage of your FOs do you give away (to anyone besides yourself, i.e., including your immediate family) Probably about 30%.
How often do you KIP (knit in public)? i.e., once a week, once a month, etc. Where do you do it? Almost every day, at school between class (even during class, when we're watching videos...depending on the professor... ;) ) I always have a sock in my purse for whenever I have an empty moment.
If a genie granted you one hour to stitch-n-bitch with any one knitter, living or dead, who would you choose and why? Hmm...I'd love to hang with Crazy Aunt Purl - (I'd never have learned to knit in the round without her blog!)
What aspect or task in knitting makes you most impatient? binding off!
What is it about knitting that never lets you get bored with it? the many things that can be done with it!
Describe how and where you most often do your knitting - where do you sit, what is going on around you, what tools do you use and how are they (dis)organized? I do most of my knitting on the couch..I try to keep all the supplies I need for that project in a tote bag.
Which one person is the recipient of more of your knitting than any other? Me :)
What’s the oddest thing about your knitting, or yourself as a knitter? I knit sort of awkardly, with little tension..but it works for me!
If you were allowed to own only one knitting-related book, which would it be? (you’d be free to browse others, but you couldn’t keep them) Ooh, I dont' know...I need some time to research
Is knitting the new yoga? Why or why not? It works for me!
What important thing are you trying to put off doing whenever you knit? Schoolwork.
Are you a Knit-Geek? Of course!