Knit Whimsies

Finding My Niche

2009-12-07T22:40:00.003-05:00

I've been busy working on Xmas knits, but I've also been contemplating how to make my Etsy shop successful. I've been reading articles and scoping out the shops of the highest sellers and have determined 3 things:

1. supplies sell the best.

2. good, artistic photos are essential.

3. you need a niche product.

What is MY niche product? I don't know. Knitted items really don't sell well. I guess there are just too many knitters out there & I've noticed that people really undervalue the effort that goes into making these items. I hear "I can get that cheaper at Target"... well, yes you can, but it won't be a high-quality, one of a kind, hand knitted item.. it will be a machine knitted item from China made with acrylic yarn! (but I digress)

What I need is an item that is inexpensive and non-durable, so that I generate repeat business. I have a few ideas percolating in my brain and have even started on a prototype for one. I'm also thinking of getting back into hand-dying yarns, spinning more and maybe even doing yarn wholesale (but need to get my dba first).

So for now I will just keep scheming, staying up late fleshing out ideas and praying that I can make this work, because really this is what I want to be doing for a living. I don't mind working 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, as long as it's something I love.

Yet Another Cowl

2009-12-05T13:15:00.003-05:00

As promised, here are pics of one of the cowls I finished.

This cowl was made using Merino that I spun a few years ago. I used the eyelet & flame chevron stitch from my Vogue Stitchionary, Vol. 1. I cast-on 112 stitches on size 9 needles. The finished cowl measures 26" in diameter & 7" wide. Yes, it is up on Etsy.

The other cowl I finished just isn't up to snuff. It's pretty laying flat but looks like crap on, so I'm gonna frog it and try again. Might be a while before the redone is posted, I really need to get back to holiday knitting... only 20 days left! eek!

Knit, Knit, Knit

2009-12-02T22:51:00.002-05:00

I've been sick the last couple of days, but that doesn't mean I haven't been knitting! In fact I've finished off 2 more cowls! I will post pics once I have some daylight to do it in, my camera takes crap pics inside but loves natural light. I guess it's time for a new one, eh?

In other news, I made my first etsy sale! It was for 2 pairs of dryer balls! I whipped up a few more of those, hoping to get regular business from them.

Unfortunately, ArtFire seems to be a bit of a bust... just not getting any traffic there. I'd really like it to take off, but I'm going to focus my energies at Etsy for the time being.

I'm also working up a new design for gloves. I've got an image in my head, but can't seem to find anything similar in my stitch libraries. I just don't know if I'll have the time to perfect the design & get the item knitted before Xmas.

Cowl #3

2009-11-30T18:56:00.004-05:00

My first moebius scarf! I really like it. Simple, versatile & comfy!

I knit it in simple garter stitch on size 10 circs. I wanted it to stretch a bit so it would have extra give when doubled up as a neck warmer. I also wanted it to be reversible due to its moebius nature. I used homespun yarn in a beautiful merino/silk blend that I spun back in 2005! Unfortunately my camera can't capture the richness of the color, but you get a bit of the shimmer in the first pic.

I also whipped up a bunch of wool dryer balls this weekend!

I had a great time doing that! For those who haven't heard about them, they are just felted balls of wool. You pop 3 or 4 of them in the dryer instead of dryer sheets... they naturally reduce static and improve your drying time and the lanolin from the wool acts as a fabric softener! I tried them out with my towels yesterday and they work great, plus you can use them over & over again! I've got some for sale on ArtFire & Etsy. :)

Cyber Monday

2009-11-30T07:42:00.001-05:00

Hey all! I'm offering free shipping today on my items at ArtFire! :)

Futher Distraction

2009-11-28T15:26:00.003-05:00

True to my word I put Autumn's scarf on the back burner and whipped up another cowl...

Lace Detail

This used one skein of Blue Sky Alpacas Brushed Suri yarn in Toasted Marshmallow. I cast-on 108 sts on size 8 circ. and used the Meandering Eyelet Vines pattern from Vogue Stitchionary, Vol. 1.

I absolutely love this cowl. I can not possibly convey how soft and warm it is. I just listed it on Etsy, but will not be sad if this one doesn't sell. I will totally have to make one for myself! :)

Distraction

2009-11-27T10:23:00.004-05:00

As stated in my previous post, I fell in love with the giant braided cable! While knitting away I thought it would make a lovely cowl. So, I put down the x-mas present, picked up my size 10s and began knitting away on a cowl in bulky plum alpaca!

I cast-on 31 sts and knit 4 rows in seed stitch. I knit 5 stitches of seed stitch on the edges and used just shy of 1 skein (110yds) of Plymouth Baby Alpaca Grande colorway 2213. I added a couple bamboo toggle buttons as fasteners. The cowl measures 19"x5".

I added this to my Etsy shop late last night & already had 10 views by this morning (which is huge compared to my other offerings). I think the hooded scarf is going to take a back seat this weekend while I try to whip up similar items and see if I can't generate some sales!

Progress Report

2009-11-25T16:03:00.002-05:00

The scarf so far...

I love the giant cables! This is the first time I've knitted anything with cables this large (usually a 2/2 or 3/3 this is a 7/7!). I love the softness of it!

Another modification: the pattern calls for knitting the scarf portion in 2 parts and then joining in the middle... I can see no reason for this so I'm just knitting the scarf as one length. Hopefully I will have the scarf done this weekend and can move on to knitting the hood. I'd love to have this finished by next weekend so I can move on to other items.

BTW- For Thanksgiving I'm giving free shipping on my ArtFire Items for buyers in the US! Please, take advantage of me! ;)

Happy Turkey Day!!

Let the Knitting Begin

2009-11-22T19:32:00.004-05:00

Holiday Knitting has begun!

First up:

Pfeiffer Falls Hooded Scarf by Anne Kuo Lukito from Interweave Knits Winter 2008 issue. This is for Autumn. I'm knitting it in Knit Picks Comfy, Planetarium colorway. It's a beautiful deep blue that her mom says will match her winter coat nicely. :)

Modifications so far - no pockets (who puts pockets on a scarf?!) and am using size 9 needles. Will post images soon.

Art Fire Vs. Etsy

2009-11-20T12:39:00.001-05:00

So in an attempt to actually sell something, I've cross-listed my Etsy items on ArtFire. I like that ArtFire doesn't charge a listing fee or take a cut of your sale price... it's absolutely free to sell there! You can upgrade your account to list as many items as you like and access all kinds of features. If I end up selling anything there I will probably do this. It's not as pretty or as well known as Etsy, but that may work in my favor because there isn't as much there. Who knows.

What do you think of the shops?

Here is my ArtFire Studio

and here is my Etsy Shop.

Any input would be appreciated!

A Leg Up

2009-11-19T18:07:00.005-05:00

2 Things:
1. I finished Anouk!

2. I made a Leg!

I got inspired this weekend after seeing a tutorial on how to make a custom dress form (which I'm totally going to do) and thought it might work for other body parts as well. I got to thinking about how I've really wanted mannequin legs/arms for the modeling of socks & mittens and wondered if I could apply this technique.

So, if you want to make your own model leg, here's what I did...

First, wrap your foot & leg in plastic wrap:

Then, wrap your leg with duct tape. I recommend using strips & not simply winding the roll around your leg. This will give you smoother lines and will prevent you wrapping your leg too tightly & cutting off circulation. The smaller/thinner strips will allow you to create greater definition on the heel & toes as well. I did 3 layers of tape.

Once you have finished taping, gently tease the tape & plastic wrap away from your leg and cut down the side using very sharp scissors.

The plastic wrap I used (Glad Press 'n' Seal) adhered to my leg a little too well, so you may want to use something not so sticky. The tape allows for a good bit of flexibility so removing the form isn't too difficult, however the getting your foot out can be a bit tricky... Like a pair of boots that are a size too small!

After you've removed the form, tape the cut edges back together and stuff the form with newspaper. Viola!

I plan on playing with paper maché and decoupage to try and pretty it up a bit and add extra stiffness. I'll let you all know how it goes!

OK, So I Lied!

2009-11-14T10:41:00.003-05:00

Yeah. I lied. I promised to blog more in August and here it is November and it's only my second post of the year!

I blame facebook. I spend all my computer time there these days & have only just started getting back to Ravelry and blogs. I have been knitting however, and doing a bit of spinning. I've also opened an Etsy shop (check sidebar) to try to raise a little extra income because my hubby is still in need of work.

Currently I'm working on a dress for my friend's new baby niece. The pattern is Anouk from Knitty. I'm using the same yarn but the body is pink and the trim is white. The pockets will have a white background and purple flowers. Depending on how much yarn I have left, I may even make a complimentary diaper cover.. we shall see! I will post project pics later.

No promises, but hopefully I'm back. :)

btw- how do you like the new look?

That's right, I knit!

2009-08-07T11:44:00.002-04:00

I can't believe it's been over a year since I've posted here! Wow. So,life kinda interfered and I haven't even thought of blogging in ages. Short version, hubby got laid off, father had a heart attack and subsequent triple-bypass surgery, and mom is still bed ridden. So with all that going on I haven't had time to knit, let alone blog about knitting.

A few days ago I picked the needles back up to start on a baby sweater for my cousin and I thought it might just be time to come back to the blog. Hopefully I can keep it up again.

Thanks for reading. :)

Excited!

2008-05-29T18:01:00.005-04:00

I received my monthly newsletter from the fabulous ThreadBear this morning and was jolted awake when I saw this: "Announcing Workshops with the Fabulous CookieA"! Fabulous indeed! I quickly skimmed the newsletter for the relevant information: 2 workshops, one on top-down sock design and the other on toe-up design, $35 fee... 16 person limit!

I hurriedly dialed the store & they still had spaces (I think my excitement greatly amused the lady on the phone)! So, this September I will be taking a 3hr design workshop with Cookie A.

Oh! And Trek received her socks!

There is is much Squeeage going on today. :)

Note: Please excuse the excessive use of the word "Fabulous" in this post. Apparently I need a thesaurus. :)

Trek's Socks

2008-05-25T08:24:00.005-04:00

I've finished Trek's socks!

Overall I'm very pleased. They are drying now and should be on their way to her on Tuesday. :)

I've cast-on another pair of socks (surprise) for another swap I joined. It's a Discworld themed swap called "Music With Socks In" that's being held through Ravelry. The idea is that you make your partner a pair of socks (or send them the necessary items to make their own) and include a cd or 2 in the package. Since there is a possibility that my partner might read my blog (it's not a secret swap) I won't be posting any project details until I've shipped. I'm very excited about this swap. I wasn't able to go with my first idea for the socks, but I think she will love what I'm doing. And the music aspect is great, I'm having a lot of fun going through my collection for ideas!

Edit: Oh! I almost forgot to tell you a bit of exciting news! There's a yahoo group that is dedicated to translating knitting patterns into foreign languages and they've requested permission to translate my MJs pattern! I'm so geeked!

Weekend in Vermont

2008-05-13T22:20:00.006-04:00

This past weekend I went with Honey to Vermont for a couple of Circus shows. There really isn't much to relay about the trip. The weather was lovely and I got to actually spend time with a few people that I've met at the shows. Of course, the only pictures I took ended up being far too dark and I've been unable to successfully clean them up so far.

I was able to sneak in a little yarn shopping. There was a gift shop in the tiny town we were at and at the very back there was a small yarn shop, which was stocked with some pretty nice stuff. I couldn't resist picking up this:

2 skeins of Araucania Nature Cotton in sage green. It is incredibly soft! I haven't seen the yarn locally, so that was all the incentive I needed to buy it. I've no idea what I'm going to make with it yet. Thankfully, I don't have to worry about dye-lot if I end up needing more. It's all hand-dyed, so there will be variation no matter what! :)

And the 28hr round-trip drive gave me time to knit this...

Trek's Sock

I've finished the first sock and have started the second. I'm just past the cuff now, but hopefully I finish it up this weekend.

The yarn is really lovely to work with, although it is pooling something awful. Even so, the sock is still quite pretty. I was originally going to do a fancy rib pattern, but the darkness of the yarn hid the pattern. Instead I went with a simple 2x2 rib for the cuff and stockinette for the leg & foot. I did a slip stitch heel for a little oompf.

Now I just hope they fit! :)

Coming Along

2008-05-04T09:06:00.004-04:00

I've been a knitting fiend the last few days. I was home sick with a stomach bug on Thursday & Friday and was able to get quite a bit done on my Highland Shawl.

Not a great image, I know. The color is a bit washed out and you can't really see the lace, but that gives you an idea of how much is done. I've finished the body and started knitting the lace edging last night. I really can't wait to finish this, it's going to be so soft & warm! Yippie!

I'm going to wind up the Shibui Sock yarn for Trek's socks today and try to finish my pattern search. My initial thought was to do the Retro Rib Socks by Evelyn Clark (Interweave Knits, Fall 2004):

However, on further thought I think these might be a bit too patterned for her. She said she prefers simple stockingette or ribbed socks. Opinions?

Cast On

2008-04-29T17:01:00.004-04:00

This weekend I finally decided to knit something, other than socks, for myself. I finally frogged the Lift & Separate Wrap that I started knitting in September 2006. I had finished the sleeves, but never got around to knitting the body of the sweater and after almost 2 years I figured it was time to reclaim the yarn, which is yummy Alpaca With A Twist Baby Alpaca in fawn.

This is it's current incarnation...

The Highland Triangle Shawl from Folk Shawls. This is the center portion of the shawl and that beautiful trim will be knit on after the body is complete. The lace pattern is fairly easy to memorize and it's moving along rather quickly since it's knit on whopping Size 8 needles! ;)

Lets just hope I don't get too distracted by this...
Shibui Knits Sock yarn in Midnight. Isn't it gorgeous? The color was a bit of a surprise because the website's image showed it as being much darker, but I love it. This is for Trek's socks, although I may have a hard time parting with it. The yarn is super soft & springy! I can't wait to get knitting with it.

All Sewn Up

2008-04-28T19:24:00.003-04:00

The weekend before last I went out to my folks and my mother very obviously hinted that she would like a lap blanket for when she is in her wheelchair. She even showed me a knitting pattern, which was absolutely hideous.

Now, I love my mum, but there is no way I was going to spend the time and energy knitting a blanket only to have it destroyed the first time she uses it. Because of her medical conditions, she is uncoordinated and she often falls asleep in mid-sentence... this combined with a full cup of juice or food and a hand knit blanket spells disaster.

Instead I decided to sew her a blanket. This would fulfill her wish, would make life easier on my sister & father because it would be machine washer/dryer friendly, and save me a lot of time, money & sanity.

So Saturday afternoon I spent a few hours whipping this up while watching Jane Austen movies. I got a baseline for the size from the pattern she showed me. The pattern also had a strap that fastened around the waist to keep it from falling off. It used buttons, but I figured velcro would work much better. :)

Materials: 2 1/4 yds cotton fabric (45" width),
45x60 cotton batting & sew-on velcro

The finished blanket is about 34"x43". Unfortunately I made the fastening straps a bit too long and will have to trim & resew them. Still, I'm happy with it and honey thinks my mom will love it and that's all that matters. :)

Hubby Meme

2008-04-27T08:25:00.003-04:00

Mary tagged me with this great meme that is all about hubby! :)

Where did you meet? I was in a play, fancied this guy and he dragged me to a party at his friends' house. Honey was the friend. I know it sounds awful, but we didn't actually start dating until 6 months after I broke up with the guy who introduced us. Still, said guy was none too pleased about the whole thing. :)

How long did you date? About 6 weeks & then he proposed. However, we waited a year & a half to get married.

How old is he? 4 years older (he'll be 40 this year).

Who eats more? We eat about the same. Sometimes he eats more, sometimes I do.

Who said “I love you” first? Hubby. Immediately after he got a nasty phone message from my ex.

Who is taller? Hubby. He's 6'2", I'm only 5'5"

Who sings better? Him, without a doubt. He is a fantastic musician and singer. He writes great songs too, even wrote one for me. :) He used to perform a lot in his twenties, but now me, the dog & cats are pretty much his audience. I always wanted to sing well, but as my sister will tell you, I can't. I can carry a tune but that's it.

Who is smarter? We both have higher than average IQs and I believe we are of equal intelligence, although he may be a bit more cunning than I.

Whose temper is worse? Mine. Hands down. I have a pretty short fuse and get snippy quite easily. Kris is pretty unflappable. I think I've only really seen him mad twice in 12 years.

Who does the laundry? Pretty much me. He does the odd load, but that is usually his own clothes. He's a bit leery about doing mine after a few disasters early in our relationship

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? He does.

Who pays the bills? He does.

Who cooks dinner? We both do. It's about 25/25/50 (him/me/take-out). :)

Who drives when you are together? Usually me. I'm a driving control freak. Unless we are taking a road trip, then he does all the driving.

Who is more stubborn? I think we are both pretty flexible, I don't think either of us is particularly stubborn.

Who kissed whom first? He kissed me. It was so cute. He asked if I minded if he kissed me.

Who is the first to admit to being wrong? I think we are both pretty good at recognizing when we are being irrational. No one is always apologizing first.

Whose parents do you see the most? I'd say it's about 50/50. But he talks to his mom way more than I talk to my parents, like almost every day.

Who proposed? He did. It was our first Valentine's Day together and we were at a Chinese restaurant. He got down on his knees and proposed after reading his fortune cookie. Since then I have to screen all his fortune cookies. :)

What’s his best physical attribute? I love his eyes and his giant nose! :)

Who has more friends? Him. He is a people person and gets along with everyone. I sooo do not.

What are you most proud of him for? For having the courage to follow his passion, even though it means I'm spending most weekends alone.

Who has more siblings? we each have a sibling.

Who wears the pants in the family? Well, since his salary is 3x mine, I guess that would be him. However, he is not my "lord & master" and doesn't have veto power. We are partners.

Ok. So, who to tag? How about Devin (you're engaged so you're qualified), Christy, Claudia & Ruinwen.

Clapotis Scarf

2008-04-22T18:24:00.003-04:00

OMG! A F.O.! :)

Behold the Clapotis Scarf...

detail

Project Notes:
Yarn: J. Knits Softee Alpaca in New Jersey (which I received in the Discworld swap)
Needles: US 4 (3.5 mm)

Modifications: Because I was going for a scarf and the pattern is actually for a shawl I had to make a modification, I increased to 47 stitches instead of 107. I also sized down the needle to a US 4 instead of a US 8, so as to work better with the yarn.

I love the result. It's a beautiful, light & airy scarf that is perfect for warmer weather, which is what I was going for. The yarn is a bit scratchy on the neck, but I'm hoping that will disappear with the addition of a little fabric softener.

The pattern is fairly quick & easy to knit up as well. And I got great satisfaction in purposely dropping stitches!

Overall, I'm very happy. I'm a little upset it took me so long to finish, but as long as I'm typing for a living my hands/wrists are going to continue bothering me and that means no knitting during the week. :(

Contest Results

2008-04-21T18:12:00.002-04:00

I hit 20,000 visits! Whee!

Thanks so much to every who has visited my blog, especially those of you have commented. I really appreciate it and enjoy reading your comments. I wish I could give you all a prize, but a girl can only knit so much. :)

Now, onto the results. I placed all the entries into a hat and had honey draw.

The winner is...

Trek!

Congrats! I'll be sending an email to you shortly to get your details.

I'm Such A Dumbass

2008-04-19T08:30:00.006-04:00

I finally started typing up the pattern for the Bittersweet Heart socks. In fact, I've got the whole pattern done including charts.

I was just going to start calculating the stitches needed for different sizes when I discovered that I didn't actually write down my GAUGE when I was making up the pattern.

I guess I'm going to have to reknit.

Idiot.

(btw- less than 100 hits to go for the contest! squee!)

Seriously Peeved

2008-04-17T22:13:00.003-04:00

I just watched I Am Legend...

I knew better. Really I did, but I just couldn't help myself. I knew from the moment I saw the first preview before it was even released that my viewing this movie could really tick me off. I guess I'm a glutton for punishment.

Now you may be thinking, it wasn't the best movie but what's there to be peeved about? The fact that other than the title and the name of the main character the movie bares no relation whatsoever to the actual novel. Really. None. Read the book. It won't take you long, it's only a few hundred pages.

You'll be struck immediately by the fact that in the novel Robert Neville is not a doctor, he's actually a blue collar guy who lives in a suburban area (in Kansas if I remember correctly). And while he is looking for a cure, he's winging it from stuff he's picked up in library books. Oh, and the monsters are actually vampires who have all there cognitive functions... not mindless zombies. There is actual interaction between him and the vampires, in particular his former coworker/neighbor.

I don't want to give away the whole plot, but the book is an excellent study of isolation & morality. The ending is brilliant. It actually gives you something to think about and discuss. Not the sappy movie ending "he saved us all" crap.

(sigh) Perhaps Beowulf will be better...

I Can Haz Theremin?

2008-04-15T16:48:00.001-04:00

How friggin' cute is this?

Shamless Plug

2008-04-14T17:24:00.003-04:00

Registration has started for the Mystery Theme Swap 3, which I host. Come join us, it's loads of fun. XD

btw- only 260 more hits until 20,000! I'm so excited!! I can't wait to see who I get to knit for!!! :)

50 Greatest?

2008-04-12T07:11:00.002-04:00

First off I want to thank everyone who has commented on my contest post. I must say I'm overwhelmed! The last time I had a contest there were maybe a dozen entries, there are about 35 now and counting! Amazing! Thanks so much for the well wishes... and I wish you all good luck in winning the sox! :)

Okay, now onto this post.

Recently IFC teamed up with Nerve and they compiled a "50 Best Comedy Sketches of All Time" list. Now anytime someone does a list like this the results end up being controversial... let's face it, this is a highly subjective medium. What I find funny isn't necessarily funny to you. Even so, I think they did a pretty fair job.

The Python boys are fairly represented. Honey is a bit upset that the Fish Slapping Dance didn't make the cut, but Dead Parrot is #1 and the Spanish Inquisition is #33, so I'm happy. Kids in the Hall have a few sketches on the list as well, although I think there were better ones that could have been chosen.

In general I think that SNL is a little over-represented. I knew the "More Cowbell" sketch would be there and I was pleasantly surprised to find that Dan Akyroyd's Julia Child sketch made the cut and that "Synchronized Swimming" with Harry Shearer & Martin Short was #10. However, the only Eddie Murphy sketch they included was Buckwheat sings, which is funny but personally I prefer Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood (Kill my landlord, Kill my landlord) or Velvet Johnson's How To Be A Ho (but that's just me).

The biggest and best surprise was that "Nairobi Trio" from the Ernie Kovacs show was #7. This is perhaps the silliest thing I've ever seen. I think it's brilliant and most people my age have never seen it because it aired in the 50s.

So, that's my little 2 cents worth. If you like sketch comedy you should definitely check it out, especially since there are YouTube clips of almost every sketch!

20,000th Visitor Contest

2008-04-10T08:02:00.003-04:00

I'm quickly coming up on my 20,000th visitor to my blog and I think that deserves a celebration!

Originally I was thinking of just giving away a couple skeins of handspun or maybe custom dyed yarn, but upon further consideration I realized that a) not everyone who reads my blog knits or crochets and b) this is a little more special and therefore deserves a prize that's a little more special.

So in honour of my 20,000th visitor, one lucky person will receive a pair of custom handknit socks of their very own. They may chose the colors & pattern if they like and the socks will be knit to their unique foot/leg measurements. :)

To enter, simply post a comment to this post. I will randomly select one winner when 20,000 visits have been reached.

Good luck and thanks for visiting!!

WOW! Actual Knitting Content!

2008-04-05T07:55:00.007-04:00

As promised, knitting is once again in progress! Unfortunately I was a little rustier than I had thought and decided to put the Noro Sock Yarn aside until I've gotten back into the swing of things. It's too purty to be wasted on crap socks!

Instead I started a fairly simple pattern on bigger needles; a scarf version of Clapotis. I'm using the J. Knits Softee Alpaca that I received in the Discworld swap, which is really lovely to work with, and am knitting 47 sts on size 4US needles. I'm about 1/3 of the way finished and am happy with the way it's coming so far.

Can't wait to see how it looks once blocked. I think this will be a lovely, light scarf for spring.

P.S. I'm going to be having a contest soon in celebration of 20,000 visitors to my blog! Details soon. :)

Boring Blogger

2008-03-29T09:10:00.002-04:00

That's me. I know I haven't posted anything exciting in weeks! First there was the creative slump, followed by carpal tunnel pain, resulting in nothing interesting on the blog.

I had planned on filling the time with playing with my embroidery machine, but that only led to frustration. I was able to get it working and it works ok with the stock patterns on the machine, although it does tend to leave gaps. When I tried to use a self-made pattern, the machine couldn't sew it properly and after breaking 3 needles I gave up in frustration. I'm not sure if it's my inexperience or of it's the machine. Either way it killed my desire to sew.

Thankfully, my hands & wrists are feeling much better from the rest and I'm thinking of busting out the needles today and knitting up some of this:
Gorgeous Noro Kureyon Sock Yarn that I received as a thank you gift from a fabulous MTS participant. Not yet sure what pattern I'll use, may wing it, but I've been itching to knit this ever since it arrived... soooo purty!

I'm also going to get in gear and get the Bittersweet Heart pattern written up for test knitting. So, hopefully the blog will be back on track with knitted goodness soon. :)

In the meantime, I'll leave you with a bit of puppy cuteness.

Diatribe

2008-03-23T08:17:00.003-04:00

I've a bit of a diatribe welling in me. Last night my hubby and I went out for a lovely dinner. After eating, the waiter offered us coffee, cappuccino, etc. and I ordered a hot tea.

Honey got a lovely cup of cappuccino, with a side tray filled with shaved chocolate, cinnamon sticks & whipped cream that could be used enhance his coffee drinking experience. They brought me a tea pot and a selection of bagged teas... all of which were either flavored black tea, flavored green tea or herbal!

This is far from the first time this has happened, and it got me thinking. Restaurant owners would never DREAM of only offering flavored coffee. They just wouldn't. So why do they think it's acceptable to only offer flavored tea?

I'm not asking for much here. While I'm a bit of a tea snob at home, I don't expect that type of quality when I go out. Hell, I would settle for a bag of Lipton. Many times the only black tea they offer is Earl Grey, which they seem to think is not flavored for some reason. Well, it is and I cannot stand the taste of bergamont.

And I have to say I've noticed this phenomenon far more in upscale restaurants. They even have special humidors to display their pricey tea bags that are full of fruit & herbs. I'm sure this is really impressive to those who are drinking tea on a lark, but to serious tea drinkers this is really depressing. I mean I can go into any coney island or fast food joint, order a hot tea and get a black tea bag, no fuss. They may ask if I want decaff, but that's it.

Also, people who are going to drink their tea with their meal don't want some fruity concoction messing with the taste of their food. They are not like wine which, when paired correctly, can take your entree to new heights. These teas aren't designed to enhance the meal, they are meant as after-dinner, on their own kind of drinks.

Is it really too much to ask for the restaurant owners of the world to stock 1 plain black and/or green tea? Really?

end diatribe. :)

Grumble, Grumble

2008-03-07T06:38:00.003-05:00

Cough, Cough... stupid michigan weather! At least this made me feel a bit better:

Corrina also made me smile. In the midst of a full on hack attack, I looked out the window to see her doing her "freight train". This is what we call it when she runs full tilt around the back yard in ever decreasing circles. She ended this bout by dropping to the ground, rolling over & rubbing her back in the snow. Crazy puppy! :)

Discworld Swap

2008-03-05T17:56:00.002-05:00

I participated in a Discworld Themed swap on Ravelry and just got my amazing package.
Apron, knitted string bag, Pursenality Plus book, 85% Cocoa Lindt bar, Candy, Fiber Pieces Alpaca/Merino yarn, J. Knits 100% Alpaca yarn (the purple), and a phone charm! Oh, and there's a lovely shawl pin stuck in the green skein, but it's a bit hard to make out in the photo.

Close-up of the hand painted apron.

Charm for the goddess Anoia, which now is hanging
on my computer monitor.
She even drew boot-soles on the bottom of the box!

She really went above & beyond! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

The Great Unravel

2008-03-03T18:17:00.004-05:00

This weekend we headed off to Philly for the Circus' cd release show. I was enlisted to run the background videos. I have to say I was pretty nerve-racked on the way down. I've never done any kind of video production before and I was really nervous I was going to screw it up. However, everything seem to come off well and I got a lot of compliments from the audience. Most importantly, the band was happy so I guess I didn't suck! You can see a bit of my work in this shaky cam video of Tink that someone made at the show. :) Watching it you can hardly tell that poor Joziah had a nasty respiratory infection and couldn't really talk for 2 days before the show!

I have to say I really love the new cd, The Great Unravel. There really isn't a bad song on the album! I was going to link to it, but it seems it isn't up for sale on their website or cdbaby yet. Kris thinks it won't be available online for another month, so it looks like the only way to get it is to attend a show.

In other news, I want to thank everyone for all the well-wishes! The antibiotics did the trick and I am once again healthy! Yippie! Unfortunately my carpal tunnel has picked now to flare back up, so it looks like my knitting hiatus will have to last a little longer. I think this is a good time to finally figure out my embroidery machine and do a bit of sewing. :)

Sinusitis

2008-02-12T17:28:00.000-05:00

Just when I thought I was getting better, Sunday evening I start spiking a fever again. Yesterday I went to the doctors again. What started out as a nasty viral infection has mutated into a nasty bacterial infection. So, now I'm on antibiotics and am hoping this finally clears things up as I have been sick for 3 weeks now and it is making me seriously cranky!

I haven't even had the energy to knit!

You Make My Day

2008-02-04T19:01:00.000-05:00

While getting caught up on my blog reading I discovered that the wonderful Devin nominated me for the "You Make My Day" award. awww! (blush) Thanks Devin! Right back at cha!

So, it's my turn to nominate a few people.

Joanne for being my dearest friend. You are always there when I need someone to talk to, even if you are on the opposite side of the country.

Mary for saying what I'm thinking in a far more eloquent way than I ever could.

Christy for sending me a wonderful, thoughtful package that arrived just when I needed a pick-me-up the most.

Thank you!
There are lots of others I would like to give this to, but unfortunately they are not bloggers. Maybe I should just tell them, eh? :)

MTS2 Package

2008-02-03T11:04:00.000-05:00

Today is the first day in nearly a week that I am not running a fever! Yippie! I'm going to take this opportunity to show you the lovely package I received on Wednesday. I only wish I could have shown it earlier!
My lovely partner Christy picked "Japan" as my theme. She included a platypus pattern (too cute!), 3 skeins of Plymouth Galway yarn, Crystal Palace bamboo needles, green tea, Lindt 70% cocoa bar (my favorite!), a glass dragon, a traditional Japanese cup & saucer and 2 packets of Royal Milk Tea, which I can't wait to try once I get my sense of smell & taste back! :)

Here is a close up of the adorable glass dragon:
And my favorite item:
I absolutely adore this cup & saucer! Seriously! I'm almost afraid to use it for fear of breaking it. Almost. :)

Thanks so much Christy! I absolutely love everything!

Mock Albums

2008-01-25T17:04:00.000-05:00

I ran across this the other day and thought it would be fun to try. It is! Mary, I think you will enjoy this...

Here are the rules:

1 - Go to Wikipedia's random article page - The first article you get is the name of your band.

2 - Go to the Random Quotations page - The last four words of the last quote is the album title.

3 - Go to Flickr's Interesting photo page - Third picture, no matter what it is, is your album cover.

Put it all together to make your album. Either crop it to CD cover size, or just use the raw image itself... the only rule is you're only allowed to add the album title and artist title.

Here is mine:
Now go make your own. :)

Coriolis

2008-01-17T17:28:00.001-05:00

After a slight internal struggle I decided to frog the Tantalizing sock. It really wasn't progressing as I would like and I didn't want to forge ahead only to be severely disappointed.
After ripping it out, I promptly cast-on the master Coriolis pattern from the same book. Here is the first sock.

Ok, it's a little wonky looking when not on the foot. But when worn...

Much nicer. Here is a better view of the top...
I didn't do any of the suggested variations. Instead I just knit the master pattern with a plain heel. After the heel was completed I knit for another 1 1/2" and then did 4 rnds of 1x1 ribbing. I knit one round of purl, and then 8 more rounds of knit and cast-off. This gave it a nice rolled edge, but with ribbing to keep it in place.

I'm very happy with the way this one turned out and will be casting-on the second sock tonight.

That being said, I have a huge complaint with the New Pathways book. The patterns are revolutionary and, once you muck through everything, fairly easy to knit. However the layout of this book SUCKS! You are constantly having to flip pages just to knit one pattern. For this "master" pattern I had to have 3 pages bookmarked for reference. If I had chosen a variation it would have been more. On Ravelry there have been a lot of people who have taken their copy to Kinkos to have the perfect binding chopped off and a spiral binding installed. I'm seriously considering doing this.

On top of the layout issue, because the patterns are generalized for all the variations (and presumably unwritten variations) they are not specific enough. There were several times where I had to stop and try to figure out what they heck I'm supposed to do, and I'm an experienced knitter and very well versed in sock construction. It's so bad that I think if I knit another project from this book I will have to go through and write everything out beforehand so I'm not constantly searching for the correct page, and possibly missing a step because I didn't pay close enough attention. :(

So, overall I would give the book a B. It really is innovative, but the layout went for style over ease of use and coherency. I would only recommend this book to experienced knitters. Definitely not for the beginner or novice.

Mememememe

2008-01-16T17:45:00.000-05:00

I've been tagged again. :)
These are the rules:
List seven habits/quirks/facts about yourself.
Tag seven people to do the same.
Do not tag the person who tagged you or say that you tag "whoever wants to do it".

I'm a huge control freak when it comes to driving. I get really anxious if I'm not driving, unless I'm in the back seat or in a different city.
I'm petrified of spiders.
I had a speech impediment as a child and had to go through speech therapy for a few years. I'm still really self-conscious about it and it tends to creep back into my speech when I'm really nervous, like when I have to speak in public or when I'm meeting a lot of new people at one time.
My eyes change colors. The are usually green, but can shade to brown or yellow depending on my mood (or so I've been told).
I really, really, really (can't emphasize this enough) REALLY hate house cleaning.
I'm not fond of chick flicks/lit, except for Jane Austen. I would much rather watch a grisly horror flick.
I love my cats, but deep in my heart I am a dog person so I tend to give Corrina preferential treatment.

Ok, I tag Joanne, Mary, Denise, Anita, Ruinwen, Ruth & CJ

The Pen

2008-01-13T10:27:00.000-05:00

Silly Claymation from Jemaine Clement of Flight Of The Conchords. You must watch all 4 episodes, particularly Sean! XD

Tantalizing?

2008-01-12T16:31:00.000-05:00

Well I think I'm slowly coming out of my creative funk without the aid of the spa (I'll save that until I'm really stressed out!). However, I'm not there yet.

A few days ago I cast-on my first project from the new Cat Bordhi book New Pathways For Sock Knitters. I have to say when my sil first showed me this book I was blown away. The patterns are so creative and the construction is quite different. I was so excited when I received the book for x-mas! Imagine my dismay when I discovered that I couldn't just jump into a pattern but had to read the book first, and then actually do math (shudder) to determine the number of stitches required for every pattern! I, who fearlessly knit sweaters without checking gauge, am now required to knit a swatch for every pattern just to determine the number of stitches required! Tsk! :)

Anyways, I dutifully did my swatch and got my numbers and then started knitting Bartholomew's Tantalizing Socks.

I have to say that I'm not feeling the love for these. I really like the pattern, but I'm not liking the way this attempt is progressing. I think a froggin is in order.

Good Reads

2008-01-11T17:27:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Denise I have a new obsession. I've been busily entering all my books at GoodReads. It's quite addictive and easy to use. Plus you get to compare your reviews to others and get book recommendations. :) Now if I could just remember all those that I've read that I don't actually own a copy of...

Silly Slippers

2008-01-05T14:00:00.001-05:00

Ok. I just had to share these with you...

And they've got memory foam in base which make them super comfy as well as completely goofy! XD

Creative Slump

2008-01-03T19:27:00.000-05:00

It's probably just post-holiday burn out, but I am feeling decidedly non-crafty. I've got several projects waiting to get started as well as a pattern to write up, but I've no motivation to get going. I actually tried casting on a sock the other night & after messing it up 4 or 5 times I gave up in disgust and haven't want to look at yarn since!

Usually when the knitting blahs hit I get excited about some other craftiness. Most often it's spinning, weaving or sewing, but occasionally drawing... and rarely writing. This time I've got nothing else catching my fancy.

Perhaps I should just use the spa day that honey gave me for x-mas. Maybe if my body is reinvigorated the mind will follow...

Mystery Theme Swap 2

2007-12-28T15:58:00.000-05:00

Thanks to everyone for their lovely comments on the sweater & socks! They gave me warm, fuzzies! :)

I just wanted to let you all know that I've started registration for round 2 of the Mystery Theme Swap. Come, join us. You know you want to. ;)

Now It Can Be Shown

2007-12-26T19:27:00.001-05:00

I hope everyone had a safe & happy holiday! With x-mas over I can now finally show you what I've been working on for the last 3 months!

This is the Ultimate Gift sweater by Michele Rose Orne knit in Silky Wool on size 4 (yes, US4!) needles.

This was definitely the most ambitious project I've ever knit and I'm so thrilled that a. I finished it in time, b. it looks nice, and c. it fits! And most importantly, honey loves it!

The pattern was pretty easy to follow, but the staggered cables were a pain to keep track of. Because of that I would rate it a difficult. Really, the most difficult part was sewing it up. I've never made a sweater with set-in raglan sleeves before, but I really like the way it looks!

The other project you've already seen, but here are the completed socks upon the feet of their recipient!
Because a few of you have expressed interest in the pattern I will be writing it up. However, you're going to have to wait a little bit for it. I think I've figured out how to make the pattern work top-down, and want to give that a go before posting it. Also, I think I might have a few people give this one a "test knit" before posting the pattern for general consumption.

My Soundtrack

2007-12-25T08:04:00.000-05:00

Here's a little music meme I swiped from Devin's blog. It looked like fun!

RULES:
1. Put your music player on shuffle.
2. Press forward for each question.
3. Use the song title as the answer to the question even if it doesn’t make sense. NO CHEATING!
4. tag someone.
5. Optional: Give your own comments on how it (the song title) relates to the question.

Opening Credits : Opera Singer by Cake

Waking Up : Tender Love by Jill Sobule

First Day of School : Army Ants by Tom Waits

Falling In Love : Pop Song 89 by R.E.M.

Losing Your Virginity : American Music by Violent Femmes (not the most suitable song by them, but close!)

Fight Song : Memories (Can't Wait) by Talking Heads

Break Up : The Ledge by Fleetwood Mac

Prom : Wounded Horse by XTC

Life : Cupid's Got A Brand New Gun by Michael Penn

Mental Breakdown : Gli Impermeabili by Paolo Conte

Driving : Johnsburg, Illinois by Tom Waits

Flashback : Baby You're A Rich Man by The Beatles

Getting Back Together : Here I Am by Lyle Lovett (very appropriate!)

Wedding : When The Hangover Strikes by Squeeze (lol)

Birth of a Child : Out The Window by Violent Femmes

Final Battle : Mother by Tori Amos

Death Scene : My Humps by Black Eyed Peas

Final Credits : Joe Harper Saturday Morning by Van Morrison

Sequel Teaser Trailer : Aquarium by Robyn Hitchcock

Very silly fun! Ok, I tag Joanne & Mary! :)

Happy Ho Ho Ho To You!

2007-12-24T12:43:00.000-05:00

X-mas knitting finished in the nick of time, cookies baked, house cleaned, presents wrapped, dinner prepared & waiting to go in the oven!

Now time to grab some hot cocoa and watch A Christmas Story.

Hope everyone has a happy & safe holiday!

Why Can't We Be Friends

2007-12-21T07:22:00.000-05:00

Not usually the type of thing that I post here, but it's something that I've been pondering the last few days.

Within Ravelry there is a groups/forum page. It's wonderful, it allows people to make specialized group based on interest. I'm in quiet a few and every one has it's own group dynamic, although most are dominated by the posts of just a handful of members.

Now I am the first to admit that I am not everyone's cup of tea. I've always had very few, select friends. I sometimes feel like I'm a cult film, not for general consumption but loved by those few who get me.

That being said, there is one particular group that I'm involved in that I thought I would fit right in with. I really enjoyed it for about a month until it started to be dominated by just a few people and I realized that my opinions were drastically different from those that were being espoused. And being the type of person who dislikes conflict, I don't feel comfortable making my opinions known because I'm afraid that a. it would hurt someone's feelings and b. I would be attacked for them. So instead of having an actual debate about things, I sit here reading posts and start to feel contemptuous of the people who are posting.

It all makes me think that I should just leave the group, which makes me very sad.

Help Name A Sheep, Win Valuable Prizes!

2007-12-17T18:30:00.000-05:00

My dear Hogwarts Sock Swap partner is having a contest for her 100th post! Go check it out!

Ok, off to frantically knit.. how many days left till Christmas? EEK!

Inner Daemon

2007-12-06T18:01:00.000-05:00

If, like I, you've read the His Dark Materials series by Phillip Pullman, you are probably geeked about the movie coming out as well. I just found out that the website allows you to see what your daemon is, and allows others to comment on your daemon to make sure that it really fits your personality! :) Here's mine...

If you don't think this quite fits me, click on the "is my daemon a match" link above & answer a few questions. You can change Klitus and help determine his final shape! XD

Not Much

2007-12-04T19:41:00.000-05:00

That's what's been going on. Ok, a LOT has been going on, but not much worth noting.

The Mystery Swap is wrapping up.. I've only got about 5 people left who haven't received their packages yet and most of those are caught up in the backlog from the UK postal strike. There were some ups & downs with this, but overall I'm happy with the way it went and my participants seem to be very happy so all is well. I'm actually going to do a round 2 in January! :)

The Circus was in town this past weekend and we got to hang a bit, which was nice. My sis & Autumn went to their show. I think sis enjoyed it, but Autumn not so much. Still a little young for this type of thing I think. She said she liked the music, but she was bored before the first song finished and was extremely tired by the end of the night. Kris won't be doing much with the band this month because the acquisition of our office should be finalized soon and he will be a busy boy during the change over. We will definitely be working the New Year's Eve show in Philly though, it sounds like I'll be doing video for them.

Knitting has been happening, but not as much as I would like. I'm glad that I limited my X-mas knitting this year. As it is I'm not sure I will get it all done in time. :( However, I am just about done with my shopping! Yippie!

Zombie Love

2007-11-20T18:44:00.000-05:00

As some of you know I am a bit of a horror freak, and I have a particular soft spot for zombies. My dear hubby found this for me yesterday.

The singer is Jonathan Coulton, who we were actually introduced to by our niece Sofia this summer. She is a fan of the Code Monkey song. Funny stuff.

Ups & Downs

2007-11-09T17:49:00.000-05:00

It has been a roller-coaster week of stress. On Tuesday we had an all-company meeting, the topic of which was top secret until we arrived. I actually knew some of what was going on thanks to Kris being management & all, but people were seriously wigged out all day. So what's going on? We are in the process of being sold to a big, public corporation. This isn't a big surprise to people, AMG has been on the market for the entire time Kris has worked there (6+ years). And the company that is buying us seems to be genuinely interested in preserving the company culture as much as possible. However, it is a big transition with lots of small unknowns that are causing big stress for most of us. Especially since the sale will most likely be finalized around Christmas and they have stated there will be a few "redundancies". Thankfully I know my job is safe and we have had assurances that Kris' position is safe as well. But nothing is finalized yet and I'll not be easy until it is.

Goddess? Well, Maybe...

2007-11-02T19:11:00.001-04:00

I've seen this quiz before, but don't remember every taking it. Apparently I'm a...

What Kind of Knitter Are You?

You appear to be a Knitting Goddess. You are constantly giving and are unconcerned with reward, you simply want others to love knitting as much as you do. If someone wants to knit miles of novelty yarns, you are there for them. If someone wants to learn short row shaping, you can help. There are no taboos in knitting, only opportunities to grow. Everyone should have friend like you around if they want to learn to knit, and there's a good chance that your passion has rubbed off on a few others.http://marniemaclean.com
Take this quiz!

Happy Halloween!

2007-10-31T20:54:00.000-04:00

She's so evil, even the eyes glow! ;)

I hope everyone had a great & safe holiday! I got home to find my sister & Autumn had already arrived at my house for some trick or treating! My Mystery Swap package had also arrived, but it would have to wait until later. We had a quick pizza dinner and took off, leaving Kris in charge of handing out the candy.

After her bag was full and they left for home I finally got to open my package!

Items individually wrapped & numbered
to heighten the suspense!

4 skeins of Blue Sky Alpaca yarn (how did she know I’m a sucker for alpaca?!), bamboo needles, point protectors, and The Knitter’s Bible Knitted Accessories book. She picked the Magic Mitten Gloves for me. I absolutely love the pattern and am currently fighting the urge to shove my other projects aside and start this right away.

The theme she picked was Autumn, and I think Meaghan filled it perfectly!

Overwhelmed!

2007-10-29T19:01:00.000-04:00

I got home today to find a lovely package on my doorstep! It's my Knitter's Tea Swap 4 package from the fantabulous Ruth! I have to say this was the most fun I've ever had with a swap. When I got my partner assignment I thought they had made a mistake at first and sent me my own questionnaire back, our answers were almost identical! Ruth is just a great person, I'm so glad I got to meet her! Ok, now for the goodies...

Everything individually wrapped
with neat little tags!

Bounty of goodies! Lime & Violet yarn in Greensleeves, CTH in Misty Moor, 3 packages of loose leaf Darjeeling!! (2 black & 1 green), 1 box of Organic Green Darjeeling bags, Honey, Honey dipper, Mesquite incense, beeswax bear candle (labeled as a b-day gift), assorted Dark Chocolate, Vanilla wafers, sock pattern, toys (notice the awesome boxing frog pen!) & treaties for the babies (organic cat nip & raw hide -see below)!

Corrina enjoying her treat.
She thinks Ruth is awesome too!

I am completely overwhelmed! She definitely went above and beyond and I'm feeling a bit guilty that I didn't do more for her. Her package is currently waiting at the post office for her and I really hope she likes it. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Autumn's Bittersweet Heart

2007-10-24T17:58:00.000-04:00

That's the tentative name I've got for these socks. I've finished the first & am really happy with it so far. I'm casting on the second tonight and will hopefully get a fair bit done this weekend. I'm really glad I went with the folded picot edge for this, I think it really finishes the sock off well.

I wasn't going to post about them until after Christmas, but I just couldn't wait.

So, Autumn... No Peeking!

Tagged

2007-10-19T10:20:00.000-04:00

I know I've been remiss on the posting, but I didn't really have any updates for you. Luckily, I've been tagged for a meme by Anita from the Mystery Swap.

The Rules:Once tagged, you must link to the person who tagged you. Then post the rules before your list, and list 8 random things about yourself. At the end of the post, you must tag and link to 8 other people, visit their sites, and leave a comment letting them know they’ve been tagged.

I turned 35 yesterday. Ouch.
The first time I went to college I majored in Theater. I dropped out after the 1^st semester. When I went back to college I majored in Psychology & minored in Philosophy, so I could be completely unemployable. I need 20 credits to graduate, but I haven’t taken classes for 6yrs.
I LOVE horror movies & books. I watched my first horror movie when I was 6 and have been addicted ever since.
I am clumsy. Very clumsy. I am constantly dropping things at work and have fallen down the stairs (usually sliding on my ass) many times. I also trip over my own feet.
I’ve been going through infertility treatments on & off for about 8 yrs and am about to give up.
I hate cleaning. Really, really hate it.
My dream is to own a yarn store. I have no idea what to do to accomplish this.
I am terrified of spiders.

Let's see, who to tag. Joanne, Mary, Denise, Ruinwen, Devin, Ruth and anyone else who might want to do it. Can't think of 2 more right now. :)

Indian Summer

2007-10-05T16:32:00.000-04:00

Gosh its hot. Mid-80s here today. Had to turn the air conditioning on as soon as I got home. It's supposed to be in the mid-upper 80s all weekend. This is definitely not proper weather for October in Michigan! And I was just getting all my sweaters out. :(

So, you're probably wondering if I've actually been knitting lately. I have been, but it's all on super-secret Christmas stuff, which makes posting about it neigh on impossible! Still, I am making good progress and am about 1/4 way through the big one.

That's about it for now. Excepting that I want to put in plug for Bryan Fuller's new series Pushing Daises. It's great fun. Very whimsical, and Jim Dale was narrating the first episode! It's also keeping in the Fuller tradition of calling female characters by male names (George, Reggie, Jaye & Chuck!). I hope this series lasts, I was very upset when Wonderfalls was canceled... I wrote my very first angry letter to a network because of it! :)
So... check it out. The first episode is available for streaming on ABC's website.

Knitters Tea Swap

2007-10-03T19:12:00.000-04:00

So no sooner do I complete all the swaps I'm involved with (not counting the one I'm hosting), but then I go and sign-up for another!

This one I've been waiting for though. I always seem to miss the deadline. Sign-ups started today & will end once there are 200 participants. I'm so excited! :)

One Happy Ravenclaw

2007-10-01T18:28:00.000-04:00

My package from Avada arrived today! Whee! She told me the other day that she was finishing much sooner than anticipated and should be mailing soon. She certainly spoiled me!

Super comfy House Socks, pretty stitch markers, Empress size 2 needles, Cascade fixation yarn, pedicure set, lotion, magnet, Harry notepad, dark chocolate (mmmm moose munch, won't last long...) & jam! I'm overwhelmed!

Not only were there yummy treats for me, but there were even goodies for Corrina. The greenie is already history and the freezer pops are being eagerly awaited. :)

Close up of stitch markers

Ravenclaw House Socks

The socks fit perfectly & are super comfy. They are warming the feets even as I type! :) Thanks so much for making this the most fun swap ever!

My Friday Night

2007-09-29T10:52:00.001-04:00

Grant you, kinda boring & fuddy-duddy but more excitement than I usually have! So what are the little doughballs? Well, you may remember me writing of the fantastic bagels my bil made for us when we were out in Seattle. Honey tried to make them the weekend after we go back, but they didn't turn out quite right. I think its because he just scooped the flour into the batter with the measuring cup instead of measuring it properly. The dough was extremely stiff, but the bagels were still quite tasty. So last night I decided to give it a try myself!
This is what they looked like before being put into the frig overnight. And this is what they look like after being baked this morning...

Bagel with asiago cheese,
oregano & basil

OMG! I am the bagel master! XD Seriously, best bagels ever! The recipe is quite easy, it's just a bit time consuming what with waiting for the dough to rise and all, and the ingredients are what most people already have in their house except for the yeast and the malt powder, which we couldn't even find and used malt syrup instead. I'm so excited! All my previous attempts at any kind of bread making were disasterous (not counting quick breads which don't have yeast). I think I'll be making these for Christmas morning. :)

Muggle Post Comes Through

2007-09-26T18:21:00.000-04:00

My fair Gryffindor's package arrived safely! Yippie! And she's loves it! XD

So, now I can talk about what I sent. First off, I want to show you the adorable stitch markers I got for her from Sunneshine's Etsy shop.

Aren't they friggin' adorable?! Sunneshine is a great seller too, they arrived within 2 days of me ordering them!

Ok, now for the socks.
I made her Fawkes socks using Cherry Tree Hill Sockittome in Sugar Maple. Let me say, totally love that yarn! It's the first time I've used it but it won't be the last. Really, a super joy to knit with! So soft & warm, unfortunately it's not superwash, but it's worth the little extra care.

Pattern Notes: I used size 2 dpns for this pattern. Really easy lace pattern. Quickly memorized & very quickly knit. Unfortunately the flame pattern doesn't pop as much with the variegated yarn, but I think its lovely anyways. Will probably knit these again.

This was actually the 3rd pattern, as well as the 3rd yarn choice I had for this swap. I initially picked one of the simple house sock patterns, then the quidditch socks. I was unable to get proper sizing with either even though I was using the recommended needles & yarn (Lang's Jawoll), which is really crappy yarn & will never be purchased by me again. Seriously, bleck! I will mostly likely just bin the skeins I have.

So that's it for me with the swapping for now. Avada is about half-way done with my socks and will mostly likely be sending my package towards the end of October, which is the actual ship date. The Mystery Theme Swap I'm hosting has finished registration & I've got 54 people signed up! I'm just managing this, unless someone backs out. :)

Worky Work, Busy, Busy

2007-09-22T14:11:00.000-04:00

Most of my free time lately has been spent getting the Mystery Theme Swap up & running. It's been a lot of work, but I'm enjoying it. I hope it comes off well.

Anywho. I'm just popping in here for a quick update until things settle down a bit. My package for the Hogwarts Sock Swap was sent off a month early, in typical Ravenclaw over-achiever fashion, and my Gryffindor pal, Avada, should be receiving it either today or Monday. I'm so excited. I hope she likes it!

Also, I have started on my Christmas knitting. A pair of socks is on the needles for one lucky recipient. And one very lucky person will be getting something made with this...
No details will be given at this time in case said person decides to read my blog. :)

So, now I'm off to do some knitting & a bit more organizing. It will probably be several days before I can post again, so I will leave you with a bit of Corrina cuteness.

"Stay away from my chicken if youse
knows whats good for youse"

Ravelry Summer Camp

2007-09-14T17:56:00.001-04:00

My package arrived today! Yippie! (Click for big)

Contents: letter from home, pencils, pens, pencil sharpener,
Phoenix h&g mag., Russel Stover Chocolates, H&D cherries,
bracelet & Radiant Twist yarn

Close-up of yarn

Thanks so much Robyn, it's a wonderful package. I've already broken into the chocolate and can't wait to knit something with that gorgeous yarn... probably socks :)

I Must Be Crazy...

2007-09-10T19:50:00.000-04:00

I've decided to host my very own swap! :) It's open to knitters & crocheters and is an international swap. The idea is that you will know who your partner is but the theme of your package will be a mystery. All skill levels are encouraged to participate. You won't have to make anything for your partner, just send them everything they need for a small project based on the theme you select for them. The swap will run from October 1st-November 2nd and I will accept sign-ups until Sept. 24th.

If you are interested, please see Mystery Theme Swap for details.

Happy Feet

2007-09-08T14:59:00.000-04:00

That's what I've got since my Sockapalooza package arrived this afternoon! Wanna see?
This package was definitely worth the wait! Not only does it include one gorgeous pair of socks what fit perfectly, but it also contains a skein of Schaefer Anne, a skein of Austermann Step, and a mystery skein that I assume the fabulous Wendy dyed herself. There's a set of pretty blue stitch markers and a new chibi to boot! It also contains a ring pop, pop rocks & fruity mentos! I feel so spoiled! Below are a couple pics of the socks. The first shows of the the lace pattern well & the second shows the purty turned picot edge!
The pattern is Elfines by Anna Bell, which is such a lovely pattern I put it in my queue, and was knit using Crystal Palace's Panda Wool in Violets. The bamboo content gives this yarn such a lovely sheen that doesn't really come through in the picture.
Thank you thank you thank you! I absolutely love them! XD

Seattle Story

2007-09-06T18:26:00.000-04:00

One of Seattle's pigs

I don't want to give a long, drawn out account of our trip. Frankly, we didn't do much. Our purpose was to hang out with family & friends and to finally meet little Declan. This we did, and we had a wonderful time. I'm just sorry our trip was so short.

Declan's feet in the socks I knit

The t-west contingency was very kind to put up with us for the weekend, we are such trying creatures. Honey's brother even made us homemade bagels on Saturday morning! Next time we will have to stay longer so we can have more time with everyone and maybe have time to hit the yarn shops. :)

BTW- with all of that time on planes (6+hrs each way), I was able to finish my Gryffindor socks! The package is almost ready to go, I just need to pick up some goodies...

Wilton Dyeing

2007-08-29T21:54:00.000-04:00

'Twas a very dreary, rainy weekend & I had nothing to do. So I headed off to yonder Michaels and procured a quantity of icing dyes. What follows is a pictorial representation of events. :)

Honey stated that this "looks like a tie-dye exploded!"
But in a good way.

Behold the finished skeins!

The skeins are much lovelier when viewed individually, but I thought this post was already a bit picture heavy.

The 2 skeins on the left are worsted weight and were my 1st skeins dyed. I hand-painted them and then tried to set them by simmering them in a pot. The colors ran too much and muddied, so I ended up overdyeing them. They turned out pretty good considering.

The 2 skeins on top right are fingering weight (sock yarn). They are self-striping and were dyed using the same method as my previous kool-aid dye session.

The 3 skeins on bottom right are hand-painted and were set using the microwave.
I'm really pleased with this batch of dyeing. The wilton dyes are easy to use and blend soooo much better than the kool-aid. The colors are more vibrant as well, although they still pale next to professional acid dyes. However, I don't have a dedicated dye-space, so the non-toxic food coloring will work for me for now.

BTW- I will be off for a few days. Honey & I are going to Seattle on Friday to finally meet Declan and hang out with his parents as well as Honey's brother & family. It's a short trip, only for the weekend, but well worth it. I will be sure to give the rundown when I return! :)

If That's What You're Into

2007-08-21T17:34:00.000-04:00

Finished the first Gryffindor sock! Whee! 4th time's the charm apparently. I'm very pleased with the pattern and the resulting sock. Seriously loving this yarn too. It's the first time I've knitted with this particular brand, but it definitely won't be the last. Yummy!

In Sockapalooza news, my downstream pal finally received her package! I was so worried that it was held up in customs or lost. Such a relief! And she appears to like her package! Yippie! My upstream pal contacted me last week to let me know that I'm not forgotten and that she is almost done. I hope to have my package within the next week or so.

In other news, Honey & I have been catching up on episodes of Flight of the Conchords On Demand, thanks to the encouragement of Joanne. OMG! This is my favorite show right now (aside from Dr. Who). So incredibly funny! And the song spoofs are brilliant! The stars are a comedy team from New Zealand, and the premise of the show is that they are a band from New Zealand trying to make it in New York City. Honey says that it shows everything about the music business that Spinal Tap missed. The "Bowie" episode is particularly great. Here's a little taste... (Psst, this isn't for the kiddies!)

The Owl Has Landed!

2007-08-18T10:05:00.000-04:00

Hallelujah! The new sock yarn has arrived! My poor owl is getting quite a workout with all my indecision on this project! The red isn't as dark as I had hoped, and there is a little bit of orange in the yarn, but I think it will work perfectly with the pattern I have chosen. I just hope my fair Gryffindor pal will be pleased.

Off to knit...

Stardust

2007-08-16T21:55:00.000-04:00

Just got back from seeing Stardust. Fantastic! As some of you know, Neil Gaiman is one of my favorite authors and I've been anxiously awaiting this film's release for quite a while now. Unfortunately I had to delay seeing it because Kris was away with the circus last weekend. It was totally worth the wait!

Y'all know I'm not that eloquent when it comes to reviews (or anything for that matter), so bare with me.

The film is remarkably faithful to the novel, I suppose that's because the author wrote the screenplay. The casting was great, wonderful special effects and they managed to squeeze a lot of the plot in with out it feeling rushed (unlike the recent Harry Potter movies). Robert DeNiro was especially good... very different role for him! :)

This is the first of Gaiman's novels to be made into a movie (Neverwhere doesn't count, it was a tv movie before it was a book!) and I couldn't be more thrilled with the result. This is infinitely better than the film representations of his other works, especially MirrorMask. This gives me great hope for Beowulf, for which he co-wrote the screenplay.

This is a great film for the whole family. There is a bit of violence, but it is not at all graphic. I will be dragging my niece off to see this one. Mary, if you're reading this, you must go see it if you haven't already!

Wheat-Ear Cable Yoke

2007-08-14T22:55:00.000-04:00

This sweater was actually completed on the 4th but I didn't want to post until Autumn received her present, which she did this evening.
I don't know why the image is showing up grainy on blogger, it's fine on my computer & flicker. (sigh) If you click the image you will be able to see it better! Unfortunately the sweater doesn't photograph well when not being worn.

Pattern: Wheat-Ear Cable Yoke by Pam Allen
Yarn: 5 skeins of Plymouth Yarns Baby Alpaca D.K. in Lilac (Color #1720)
Needles: size 4, 5 & 6.

Notes: The only modification I made was to use smaller needles, the pattern calls for size 6, 7 & 8. By dropping down 2 needle sizes I was able to size down the sweater to a 25" chest following the directions for the smallest size. I knit the sweater to the length called for in the pattern as well.

I really like this pattern. It was a quick knit and the cables added enough interest to keep it from getting boring. I'm very pleased with the results. And it fits her perfectly!

Drats! Foiled Again!

2007-08-12T22:07:00.000-04:00

Ok. These Gryffindor socks are out to get me! I worked the leg on both socks, turned the heel & started the foot on one. It was looking kinda small so I tried it on. Well... I attempted to try it on. I couldn't get the dang thing over my heel. Now, Avada's feet are a little smaller than mine but not much. If I can't get it over my heel, the likelihood is that she won't be able to either.

Now I have a dilemma. I really like this pattern...
but the number of stitches is not adaptable. The yarn I have needs to be knit on size 1 needles or smaller. In order to use this pattern I will need to find a different yarn that can work on size 2+ needles. I actually have some Lorna's Laces that would be perfect but they were picked out by Autumn especially to be knit into socks for her. I think she would hurt me if the yarn was misappropriated.

So, do I search for a different yarn? Or do I go on yet another pattern search in order to use the yarn I already have? Input is desired and the cats are no help!

UPDATE: I have just purchased yarn that I think will do quite nicely for this project and should allow me to up the needle size! Now I just need to wait for it to arrive! I guess I will just have to cast-on something else to knit in the meantime.

Why I Love Joss Whedon

2007-08-09T17:29:00.000-04:00

Can't believe it took me a year to find this.

Equality Now

btw- if you're wondering who the heck he is, among other things, he's the creator of Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Firefly/Serenity... and he wrote the screenplay for Toy Story.

Tagged Again

2007-08-06T19:39:00.000-04:00

I've been tagged for another meme. This one comes via Mary.
A Harmless Meme . . .
10 Firsts
First best friend - Kristi
First screen name - midnightangel
First pet name - Dusty, a wonderful mutt who lived 18yrs.
First piercing - earlobes
First crush - Oh, I can't remember.. probably Micky from the Monkees, Mark Hamil or Parker Stevenson (loved them Hardy Boys!).
First CD - The White Album by the Beatles. First album? Probably the Robin Hood soundtrack.
First school - Henry Ruff
First house location - On Alvin in Garden City, MI
First kiss - oh, I can't remember his name... Glen somebody? Couldn't of been that good, didn't make a lasting impression. Now, if we're talking first time.. that I remember. XD
First car - 1979 Mercury Capri hatchback. Loved that car. It threw a rod whilst doing 70mph down I-75.

9 Lasts
Last time you smoked - Smoked briefly as a teenager. Quit when I was 19 or 20.
Last food you ate - Masala Dosa (just had dinner at an Indian restaurant!)
Last car ride - Home from Borders & Indian Restaurant
Last movie you watched - The Simpsons Movie yesterday with my niece.
Last phone call - Kris
Last CD you listened to - Nineteeneighties by Grant Lee Phillips
Last bubble bath you took - Can't remember.. at least 2 years ago
Last song you listened to - Last night I dreamt that somebody loved me by Grant Lee Phillips (see above)
Last words you said - Kris, let the dog in please.

8 Have You Evers
Dated a best friend - yep, married him. :)
Been arrested - no
Been on TV - Not that I'm aware of
Eaten sushi - no thank you.. I don't even like cooked fish. bleck.
Cheated on your b/f or g/f - nope
Been on a blind date - yes
Been out of the country - yes, Canada
Been in love - definitely

7 Things You Are Wearing
Glasses, t-shirt, jeans, socks, shoes, bra, panties

6 Things You've Done Today
1. Fed the animals
2. Went to work
3. Blog surfed
4. Bought a new book
5. Played with puppy
6. Kissed my hubby

5 Favorite Things (not in any order)
1. Knitting
2. Reading
3. Music
4. Movies
5. Spinning

4 People You Most Trust
1. Kris
2. Dawn
3. Joanne
4. Brian

3 Things You Want to Do Before You Die
1. Travel Abroad
2. Move to another state
3. Make a living doing something creative.

2 Choices
Vanilla or chocolate - chocolate
Hugs or Kisses - Kisses

1 Person You Want to See Right Now
Declan; I'm dying to meet the little guy. :)

BTW- I finished the Wheat-Ear Cable Yoke Sweater. I will post pics after Autumn's birthday. :)

August Yarn Of The Month

2007-08-04T08:42:00.000-04:00

It's that time of the month. I received my August sampling yesterday.

First off is Tara By GGH. This is 72% cotton/28% nylon. The yarn is a bit fuzzy and very springy! While fondling it I kept thinking this would make a super comfy robe, and at $7.35 a skein that isn't an unreasonable project.

Next is Organic Worsted Weight Columbia by Nature's Palette. This is 90% Organic Columbia Wool/10% Mohair. This is a very rough, scratchy yarn. Not suitable for garments, but I believe it would felt well. Although, at $20 a skein you are better off sticking with Knit Picks Wool of the Andes for your felting project.

I saw this review of the yarn that is of an entirely different opinion from mine, but I can't help think the reviewer was swayed by her liking for the manufacturer. I love that it's made with organic yarn and natural dyes. The color is beautiful, but I don't think the product justifies the cost.

Lana D'Oro By Cascade Yarns. 50% Alpaca/50% Wool. When I saw the Alpaca content I thought this would be softer than it is. I would say it's slightly rougher than merino. It has a nice luster and I believe would give excellent stitch definition. At $6 a skein, this is a good buy and would be great for a man's sweater.

Lastly, Ty-Dy By Knit One Crochet Too. 100% Cotton Yarn. Very soft, smooth yarn. Lovely colors. Nice twist, so there shouldn't be too much splitting. The $12.85 price tag is a little high for my taste, but it definitely is a high-quality yarn and I don't think the price is outrageous.

Oy!

2007-07-30T16:59:00.000-04:00

Kris flew out to NY on Wednesday to do sound at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival for the Circus. He was supposed to fly home last night but his flights were canceled due to weather. They were supposed to get him out today. He just called, his flights were canceled AGAIN! Grr.. the best they can do is get him on stand-by for a 6am flight tomorrow morning, so he extended the rental on his car and is driving home. He should be home by early afternoon tomorrow at the latest. (sigh)

I did finally block the Not-Quite-Straight Scarf and I'm very pleased with the results...

before blocking

after
detail photo

As biased-knit scarves go I prefer the snowy triangle scarf, but this is still quite lovely and certainly very easy to do. I really like knitting on the bias with variegated yarns.

I'm also making good progress on the Wheat-Ear Cable Yoke sweater for Autumn. I've finished the front & back (up to the join)and am about 1/4 way through the sleeves (knitting both at the same time). Gotta get this finished by the 13th for her birthday!

And, the second batch of yarn arrived today for the Hogwarts Sock Swap. I went with the Scarlet that is stated in the books rather than the burgundy that was used in the movies and most used when knitting Gryffindor items.
Avada, what do you think? This is a pretty good representation of the color (on my screen at least; it's definitely scarlet). If it's too bright for you I have no problems sending it back and getting the darker color. :)

Oh! I also got my downstream pal's Sockapalooza package shipped off to Germany on Saturday! Domestic packages are supposed to go out this coming weekend, so I should receive my package sometime next week! Squee!

HP Swap Update

2007-07-26T19:36:00.000-04:00

I just received the most adorable stitch-markers for my Gryffindor pal from an Etsy shop! Hee! Since this isn't a secret swap, I'm not going to show you yet. You will all have to be patient & wait until the swap is over!

I also received the first set of Gryffindor colored yarn I ordered, which is beautiful, but I think I'm going to hold that for my sister since there isn't enough to make tall socks with and I doubt I would get the same dye-lot if I ordered another skein. Therefore a new order has been sent off to Diagon Alley and I am eagerly awaiting my return owl so that I may get knitting!

Powerful

2007-07-24T17:45:00.000-04:00

This is the most effective PSA I've ever seen.

Amnesty International

Finished!

2007-07-22T17:51:00.000-04:00

I finished the final Harry Potter book around 1:30 this afternoon. I think it was a fitting ending to the series. For those who have not read, or have not finished, this book yet fear not, I will not give anything away.

I laughed, I cried (a lot), and was greatly satisfied to see some of my theories pan out.

I can't believe this is the last book. I will sorely miss the anticipation of a new chapter, but cherish every word she has written.

J.K. Rowling, you have my profoundest thanks!

Incommunicado

2007-07-20T14:42:00.000-04:00

I've got my wrist band & will be one of the first 100 people at Borders to get my book. HEE!

Until I've finished, I will sequester myself away from all radio, television & internet lest some detail be inadvertently gleaned.

Now I just have to hope there won't be some idiot who gets their copy & starts shouting out details while I'm in line!

And, just for fun an HP meme...

You scored as Hermione Granger, You are Hermione. You are academic, intelligent, and reasonable. On top of this, you are highly concerned with justice, scorn the small-minded prejudices of others and work hard to defend the under dog. Many times you may find that your heart and mind are constantly at war with each other.

Hermione Granger

72%

Bellatrix Lestrange

66%

Luna Lovegood

63%

Harry Potter

56%

Neville Longbottom

56%

Severus Snape

50%

Albus Dumbledore

47%

Draco Malfoy

44%

Oliver Wood

44%

Percy Weasley

44%

Sirius Black

38%

Lord Voldemort

34%

Ron Weasley

31%

Remus Lupin

31%

Harry Potter Character Combatibility Test
created with QuizFarm.com

Happy reading! :)

Breezey Socks

2007-07-18T17:40:00.000-04:00

2nd pair of sockapalooza 4 socks finished! :)

Pattern: Breeze by Jennifer L. Appleby
Yarn: Elsebeth Lavold Hempathy in Rose.
Needles: #1 dpns

Notes: I dropped the needle size down from the recommended #2s to #1s & am very glad I did. It would have been far to open otherwise. No other modifications were made.

Thoughts: Fun pattern, although I'm not very fond of the lace work in this.. it's just uninteresting. LOVE the cabled heel and will have to start incorporating that idea into other patterns!

I liked the yarn & will probably use it again. Its a little splity, but no more so than I expected based on the fiber content. I think it works very well with the pattern.

Overall I'm very happy with the results. I hope my sp likes them as well. Now I just need to pick up a few goodies for her package & get it ready for mailing. I'm going to try and get it out next week, before the Aug. 2nd ship date, since she lives overseas.

Hogwarts Sock Swap Questionnaire

2007-07-17T17:17:00.000-04:00

I have joined another exchange. This one is great fun! You are sorted into a Hogwarts house and are assigned a secret pal based on what year you are in (I'm a first year). You then knit a pair of socks for your pal in their house colors! Hee! If you want to join in the fun, go to Hogwarts Sock Swap Two and follow the instructions. Sign-ups started on July 14th and will end once there are 150 participants!

Now here is my completed questionnaire...

1. What Hogwarts house have you been sorted into? Ravenclaw!

2. Shoe size? 8 1/2

3. Foot Length? 9"

4. Foot Circumference? 8.5" at ball of foot

5. List your three favorite double-point needle brands, including size and length.

Brittany
Empress
Lantern Moon

I prefer longer rather than shorter needles. I'm most in need of size 0, 1 & 2 needles.

6. Would you like to try a new brand needle? If so, which brand? Size? Length? I'm always up for new needles! I prefer wooden or bamboo, don't like the feel of plastic and metal needles tend to hurt my hands. As for specifics, surprise me!

7. If you are a RAVENCLAW, do you prefer the colors in the film or the book? Do you have a strong preference? I prefer the movie colors (blue & silver).

8. Allergies? Do you have any? Will your knitting be exposed to smoke or animals? No fiber & food allergies. I have cats & a dog, but my house is smoke free.

9. Are you an international participant (outside US)? Are you willing to have an international Hogwarts Sock Pal? I am in the US & am willing to have an international partner.

FOs, WIPS & Yarn Porn - Oh My!

2007-07-16T17:50:00.000-04:00

Things are finally settling down a bit. We were away for the 3rd weekend in a row and I'm really worn out. However, I've done a fair bit o'knittin.
Behold!
The first Breeze sock for my sockapalooza 4 pal. I'm nearly finished with the second sock and hope to have it completed within the next few days. I really like the way these are knitting up. :)

This is the Not-Quite-Straight Scarf. It's knit on the bias and I started it while in Cold Spring. I completed it yesterday and will post the final pic once it's been blocked.

This is the yarn used for the above scarf. It was obtained by a swap on ravelry. It's a handspun/handpainted yarn that was originally purchased on ebay. Lovely pastel colors, that are surprisingly vibrant.

Finished socks made with Calmer. The pattern was self-designed using a Shetland Feather lace panel on the sides. The socks are very stretchy, which is a necessity in any socks knit for my mom. However, I'm not entirely thrilled with the design. Oh well, mom loves them.. and I highly recommend using Calmer for socks.. sooo comfy!

From this lovely little yarn shop in Chicago, the following were purchased...

Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock
in Bittersweet

Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock
in Mineshaft

Frog notions holder by Clover
(too cute to be resisted)

The yarns will be used for socks for Autumn & Kris, since they picked out the colors. Can't decide if I will be hanging on to the frog or if I will be gifting it in one of my sp exchanges.

Yarn Of The Month Club

2007-07-09T22:18:00.000-04:00

I recently joined the Yarn of the Month Club and received my first package on Friday.

The samples are all linen blends and not yarns that I would typically knit with.

This is Cinnabar by Louisa Harding, 30% Viscose/25% Cotton/15% Acrylic/10% Silk/10% Linen.
Very rich colors on this yarn, but definitely not a yarn I would ever buy. It looks like the type of yarn they make tassels out of for very expensive, very stuffy draperies. (bleck!)

This is Damask by Rowan, 57% Viscose/22% Linen/21% Acrylic. I have to say I like this one & am anxious to knit up a swatch. The colors are very rich & jewel-like. The viscose content makes the yarn somewhat silky. It's a very pretty yarn that I probably would have never picked up otherwise.

This is Kidlin by Louet, 53% Kid Mohair/24% Linen/23% Nylon. Very soft yarn. However, the plys are not holding together well. I think it would be a nightmare to knit with, although the finished product would probably be quite lovely. I am reserving judgment on this one until after swatching.

This is Korella by Gedifra, 53% Linen/47% Acrylic. This yarn is quite lovely. The acrylic content tones down the roughness you get with some linens. First impressions are that it would give very nice stitch definition.

All in all my first batch of samples is somewhat a mixed bag, but I guess that's the point! I'm really looking forward to future deliveries! :)

WIP, FOs & other Yarn porn will be up in the next few days.

Running Off With The Circus

2007-07-06T17:46:00.000-04:00

That's what I did this week. Saturday morning I flew into Laguardia Airport, honey picked me up and then we drove down to Bethlehem, PA for the Gandalf Murphy & The Slambovian Circus of Dreams concert at Godfrey Daniels. It's a neat little venue (only seats about 100) that reminds me a lot of the old Ark. The show was great! Unfortunately, their AC wasn't working so it was hotter than hell in there! (sigh)

After we finished packing up honey's gear, we drove 3 hrs to Cold Spring, NY (the circus' hometown), which was the actual destination of this trip. You see, the circus was putting on a free show in their town gazebo on Sunday that honey really wanted me to come out for. I'm so glad I did! Here are some pics from Sunday (click for big)...

This is our room. We stayed at the Hudson House Inn. Absolutely lovely inn! Highly recommend to anyone who is going to the area. The food is delicious and the beds are super comfy!

The view from said room. That's the gazebo where the concert took place. Nice location, huh?

A couple shots of the stage before the show.

The fire department fife & drum corps started the concert off. Here's a shot of them playing with the circus.
These are the views from the square in front of the gazebo. The water you see is the Hudson river. The town is located in an area called the Hudson Highlands (which is the same region as Rhinebeck!)

This show was amazing! Such a lovely setting & the crowd was really appreciative!

We spent Monday leisurely exploring the town & hanging out with Tink, Joziah, Sharkey & Tony. Absolutely wonderful people! This is the first time I've really had to spend with them. I've gone to a few shows & have exchanged a few pleasantries, but never really had the opportunity to talk with any of them. The are just lovely, sweet people. The genuinely care for each other & about what they are doing. I'm so thrilled that they've adopted Kris into their tribe. I sincerely hope things work out so that he can do sound for them full time & not have to work a day job.

Oh, and yes we checked out the real estate market for the area... :)

I was going to post some knitting content, but I think this post is long enough. I will save it for later. Besides, we're off to Chicago this weekend to meet our niece Sofia & my mil at the train station (they are riding in from Seattle).

I'll Be Back

2007-06-29T16:45:00.000-04:00

I'm heading out tomorrow morning for the east coast, but I will be back by Thursday.

When I return I will have much progress to report on the Wheat-Ear Cable Yoke Sweater, an FO to show & lots of pics of the trip.

In the meantime, Happy Independence Day!

Casting On

2007-06-22T17:55:00.000-04:00

When I finished the Embossed Leaves socks I realized that I had nothing else on the needles! GASP! I thus immediately cast-on the Wheat-Ear Cable Yoke that I am making for my niece. I initially did a bunch of math to convert the pattern to a 25" chest and cast-on. I knit about 5 rows & realized that a) I'm not getting correct gauge & b) the needles are really too large for the yarn.

I therefore ripped it out and started again. This time I am using the directions as written for the smallest size, but went down 2 needles sizes. Hallelujah! I Have GAUGE! And, no more math required, since little miss has a 25" chest, but her arms & torso are 18" long already! (Yes, she is going to be really tall!)

I'm a little over 1/2 done with the back and I'm really looking forward to getting to the cables (stockinette can be so boring)!

Not to be satisfied, and frankly feeling a bit inadequate after seeing mammoth stash photos over on ravelry (seriously, get on the list if you aren't already! Love, love, love this site!), I stopped by the LYS on the way home from work & picked up the following.

I am planning on making (surprise) socks out of both of these. I'm thinking of trying Breeze for my Sockapalooza pal with the Hempathy. I'm looking for a pattern that will be good for the Calmer. These will go to my mom & will be cast-on first, since her birthday is in a few weeks. This yarn is soft, very stretchy & (most importantly) will probably hold up to my dad's laundry practices.

On This Day Meme

2007-06-19T19:00:00.000-04:00

I've been tagged again by Vicky and this one is really interesting!

The rules are to go to Wikipedia and type in your birthday month and day only. Then post 3 events, 2 births and one holiday that occurred on your birthday, then tag 5 friends.

My birthday is October 18th, and on this day in
1648 - Boston Shoemakers form first U.S. labor organization.
1851 - Herman Melville's Moby-Dick is first published as The Whale by Richard Bentley of London.
1968 - The U.S. Olympic Committee suspends two black athletes for giving a "black power" salute during a victory ceremony at the Mexico City games.

I share my birthday with
1935 - Peter Boyle, American actor (d. 2006)
1961 - Wynton Marsalis, American musician
(I also share it with Pam Dawber & Erin "Joanie Cunningham" Moran, but I've known that for years! lol)

And the 18th is, according to the French Republican Calendar, Piment (Chili Pepper) Day (spicy!)

Mary, Joanne, Ruinwen, Dani, & Denise... you're it!

Embossed Leaves

2007-06-19T17:54:00.000-04:00

Finished another pair of socks!
Pattern: Embossed Leaves by Mona Schmidt from Interweave Knits Winter 2005 (also in the book Favorite Socks).
Yarn: Knit Picks Bare Fingering weight 100% Merino, dyed by me with Kool Aid
Needles: size 2 dpn

Notes: I'm pretty happy with the way these turned out. I made a few modifications to the pattern. I changed the heel from stockinette to slip-stitch and I did fewer decreases on the toe. The pattern called for decreasing down to 4 sts, I decreased to 16 sts and I'm glad I did.. the toe on these would have been very pointy if I hadn't. I really do like this style of toe decrease though, it compliments this pattern very well!

I don't know if I will make these again. The pattern is lovely, easy to follow and goes quickly. However, I find that I like the appearance of the sock better when it's not stretched out (i.e., not being worn). These will be going to my mum for her birthday. Now if I can just keep my dad from throwing them in the dryer...

I would like to thank everyone who participated in my poll. I appears that the overwhelming majority prefers my WordPress blog, so I will be switching over. However, we are going to be running it off our own domain so it will take a few days to get it set up. I will be keeping the blog running here in the meantime. :)

Yarn Porn!

2007-06-16T14:33:00.000-04:00

I just received my Knit Picks order! Yippie!

They are running a clearance sale & I snagged some sock yarn at a fantastic price! I've never knit with their Memories sock yarn before, but according to the folks at Ravelry the yarn is supposed to knit up fairly well, although is highly prone to felting. Well, I guess I will just have to keep these all to myself then... darn! ;)

Spring Prairie

Hawaii

Rocky Mountain Dusk

Yukon

They also kicked in a couple color cards: Palette & Telemark! I love this store! :)

Oh, btw, I would love your opinion on something. I have been playing around at WordPress for the last few months & I'm getting heartily sick of updating the same info on 2 different blog sites. So, I'm going to get rid of one. Which should I keep? Take a peek at my other site & let me know.

&amp;lt;a href="http://polls.blogflux.com/poll-13236.html"&amp;gt;Take the poll&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&amp;lt;br /&amp;gt;&amp;lt;br /&amp;gt;&amp;lt;a href="http://polls.blogflux.com/"&amp;gt;Free Poll by Blog Flux&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;

Sockapalooza Socks Done!

2007-06-15T19:00:00.000-04:00

I've just finished the Swirling Lace Anklets! Whee!

Project Notes:

Pattern - Swirling Lace Anklets by Jackie Erickson-Schweitzer
Yarn - Lorna's Laces Shepard Sock in Sage
Needles - Size 1 dpns

Love the pattern! Very well written, chart easy to follow. The pattern stitch is very easy and very quickly memorized.
I think the yarn compliments the pattern perfectly. And I just love knitting with Lorna's Laces! The project ended up using just over 1 skein (I needed the 2nd skein for the toe shaping). I still have plenty left over to do another pair of socks in a smaller size.

I am so very pleased with the way these turned out! I just hope my sp likes them! Since I finished so early, I'm thinking of knitting her a second pair of socks. Maybe Breeze from the new issue of Knitty? I really like cabled heel, but I'm concerned the holes might be too big for my sp's liking... Any thoughts?

Busy As A Bee

2007-06-13T17:37:00.000-04:00

That's what I've been the past few days. Honey was actually home this weekend, so that meant we needed to catch up on projects around the house & what-not.

The big project was that we finally got round to striping and staining the deck! It was 3 days of work, but it's finally done and looks pretty good considering we are rank amateurs! :)

Here are some project pics

Before

During

After

The last photo shows the stain as darker than it actually is. I believe that's because the sun isn't quite as bright today.

I did get some knitting done as well. I've just finished the gusset and am a 1/4 of the way through the foot of the second Sockapalooza sock. I'm still on the first skein of yarn too, which means I may have enough left over to make a 2nd pair!
I also finally decided to rip out the Folk Jacket that I had started knitting for my mom back in February of last year. I had finished the back and 1 front piece, then I lost the pattern. I ended up purchasing a second copy of the pattern a few months ago, but realized that my mom has gained weight since I started the sweater and it will no longer fit her. And I don't have enough yarn for a larger size.

However, the beautiful yarn will not go to waste. I will be taking the main color yarn...
And knitting this for my niece.

Wheat-Ear Cable Yoke from
Summer 2007 Interweave Knits

Considering that she is only 9 and, surprisingly, smaller than the model, I am going to have to do a fair bit of math to convert the pattern to her size. It looks like the pattern is sized in increments of 5", so it should be fairly easy to size it down. She is tall for age and very slender, so I think this will suit her perfectly!

Lastly, my dearest friends had their baby yesterday! I'm so insanely happy for them!
Welcome to the world, Declan!

Swirling Lace

2007-06-08T17:54:00.000-04:00

I've finished the first Swirling Lace Anklet for my downstream sockapalooza pal! Whee!
I didn't make any modifications to the pattern and I think it turned out beautifully!

The pattern is very easy and quickly memorized, so it knit up rather quickly. I highly recommend it.

I think the yarn color compliments the pattern well. I hope my sp likes it.
Now to cast-on it's mate.

Ravelry Revelry

2007-06-05T19:15:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I received my invite to Ravelry. OMG, I'm so addicted already!. It's still in beta testing, but it's already a great resource! I'm having so much fun updating everything and realizing how bad I am at documenting my knits, even on this blog! Fun, fun, fun. You should put your name on the waiting list if you haven't already! :)

In knitting news, I have about a repeat left to go on my first swirling lace anklet before decreasing for the toe. It really is knitting up very nicely. I will post a pic as soon as the first one is done.

Also, this weekend I got very frustrated trying to listen to my ipod while wearing a dress... no pockets. So, I took about an hour and whipped this up.
I don't know what yarn this is, it's a remnant that I got from Ingrid quite a while ago. I knit it up on size 3 dpns in the round. There is 3 rows of 1x1 ribbing at the top & the rest is knit in stockinette, with an i-cord strap. Very snazzy! I am thinking of knitting up a few more & playing around with lace &/or cables.

That's about it for now, I'm off to watch On the Lot. :)

Knitting Along

2007-05-29T18:16:00.000-04:00

I can't believe it's been over a week since my last post! I have no excuse, I just wasn't in the mood for blogging. However, I'm feeling much better now and have much to show. (Like the purty flower on the left, what is blooming in my yard.)

I finished the first of the Embossed Leaves socks. I ended up ripping back to the correct number of repeats and then doing a slip-stitch heel. I also didn't do the toe decrease as many times as the pattern indicated, it would have made for an especially long toe. I'm really pleased with the result. I'm about half-way through the second sock.

To change things up, I decided to start working with the gorgeous Manos my honey bought me a while ago. I was originally going to make My So Called Scarf with it, but decided to go with the Snowy Triangle Scarf pattern by Iris Schreier, which appears in Handknit Holidays (love this book!).
I really enjoyed knitting this pattern. It was very easy (I had it memorized after 1 repeat) and I think it works very well with this particular yarn. It knit up super quick too, I was able to start & finish it within 2 days!
While working on the scarf, the yarn arrived for my sockapalooza pal! I had originally ordered in from an online shop, but then I received an email from them that it was back-ordered. Grrr.. Luckily, I found an Ebay seller who had it in stock AND the total cost was less than the other online shop! Whee! I was very happy with the transaction. She got it too me very quickly & sent candy!
Scarf finished & yarn in hand, I got started on the swirling lace anklets yesterday. The lace pattern is very, very easy and easily memorized. I'm half way through the 2nd lace repeat for the cuff and should start on the heel tonight.
Unfortunately my camera is not very good with the fine detail and isn't showing the sock to its best. It's much prettier in person!

I think I'm going to knit a second pair of socks for my pal. I will just have to see how long it takes me to finish these.

OH! I almost forgot to mention that I was gifted a Brother Embroidery machine by the fabulous Jill last weekend. She totally hooked me up and I am totally intimidated by this machine, but I will conquer it! I just need to get myself a stash of embroidery thread!

Interweave Knits Summer Issue: The Good, The Bad & The Fugly

2007-05-18T21:48:00.000-04:00

Just got back from the bookstore and I picked up the new Interweave Knits. There are several nice patterns in this issue, although I still don't like the new layout. I do have fairly strong feelings on a few of the patterns and I thought I would share my thoughts.

The Good:
The Wheat-Ear Cable Yoke by Pam Allen

Well designed sweater displayed on the right model. The shaping is in the right place and the cables are not overdone. I love the neckline on this sweater. This is the type of sweater I would have loved in my late teens & early twenties (when I had the figure for it). I may just knit this for my niece.

Syncopated Caps by Kate Gilbert

I love the fair isle pattern on these! It looks like a pattern that you could knit over & over without getting bored, and the look is timeless.

Spiral Boot Socks by Veronik Avery

Feeds nicely into my sock obsession, which has lately run to the knee-sock variety after seeing Clessidra in the latest issue of Knitty. I really like the spiraling lace and the cuff is adorable. I will definitely be making a pair of these.

The Bad:
1824 Blouson by Mari Lynn Patrick

Ok. Granted, this sweater does look comfy. It also looks like it's inside out. That's what I think every time I look at the picture, and if I saw it in person I would probably be fighting the urge to tell the woman her sweater is inside out! Seriously. It's like when someone's clothing tag is hanging out... I just need to tuck it back in... this sweater is making my hands itch.

Little Smocked Cardigan By Carrie Bostick Hoge

This sweater is pretty and I understand what she was trying to achieve. However, it looks like the model has just put on a sweater that was made for her 8 yr old daughter. Either that or her husband shrunk it in the wash. One of the pictures in the magazine actually shows the model tugging down on the sweater as if it is too short. I think this sweater could have been saved by a little shaping. It's too boxy to be this short.

The Fugly:
Sleeveless Tuxedo Shirt by Theresa Schabes

Honestly I don't know what could have saved this one. All I can say is that it certainly does remind me of a frilly tuxedo shirt... that's not a good thing.

Origami Cardi By Norah Gaughan

Wow. A pattern that is unflattering on absolutely every body type, except for possibly pregnant women. The "berry" stitch looks like bobbles and quite frankly they are ugly. And you can tell that the model hates it.

Ok. So that's what I think. There are a few beautiful designs that I didn't mention (like the Montego Bay Scarf). I'd love to hear your thoughts. Which patterns did you like the best and which did you think were fugly?

EDIT: When I checked my blog this morning I noticed that somehow comments had been turned off! Oops! They are back on now. My bad.