Etsy and trades

I sent my sister home with my Lucy purse when she was here visiting. After all that time and money, I hated the purse. It wasn't useful to me. So I let it go. Jodi posted it on Etsy and has gotten an offer for a trade! I'm excited. The person who wants to trade paints watercolors and acrylics. She paints pears. Pears are my new passion for my kitchen and breakfast nook. Soon I will have more pears to hang up. And these are custom pears only for me! I get to suggest colors and all.

On the bright side for the two of you, Jodi has offered to be our selling agent on Etsy. If you have items to sell/trade, you can email her details and photos and she'll take care of posting and selling. You would need to mail the item once the deal is made, but she would do the footwork. Let me know if you are interested. I have some more items (hats and scarves) that I'm going to be putting up, just to see if I can de-clutter a bit more!

Knitting on my clapotis still goes. I started socks and frogged them and have barely started them again. I like the toe-up concept, but I made the first ones too big. I guess gauge swatches are always important. Lessons learned.

Karabella Boise Scarf

I finished the cashmere scarf! Yay! It is beautiful. I'm very happy with it. I haven't measured it, but the length is perfect and its super soft. I loved working with Karabella. It was like knitting a cloud. It was interesting that the second skein was more difficult than the first. It had pulls and kept splitting on me. But I still loved it. And the color was fantastic.

My birthday has come and gone. I received a swift and winder from Rich! I went and rewound all of my balls into cakes and all of my skeined yarn as well. What fun. Now I need to buy more yarn to make into cakes. I'll try to get photos in action when I buy more yarn.

Lorie and Dani both sent me beautiful yarn. Dani sent me Lana Pura's Melosa Fingering in Hyacinth. It is already in action becoming a mini-clapotis and I love knitting with it. Its super soft and beautiful.

Lorie sent me Claudia Hand Painted Sock Yarn in Caribbean Blue. I love it. It will become Monkeys. But first, my next pair of socks, to be cast on soon, will be knit toe-up in Scout's Super Swag Hedgehogs. I'll start photos of the project once its started and include updates on the Clapotis.

Next weekend is Oregon Flock and Fiber. I see some money being spent. Although I really want to make this: http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEfall07/PATTroam.html, so I may start saving my dollars (all $300 of them if I make this in the recommended yarn!) to buy yarn for this (in another acceptable yarn as I don't have any $300.00 garments, let alone ones I'm making myself). Ideas for subsitute yarn would be welcome. I thought of the alpaca I have in my stash but I'm short 1000 yards. Then I thought the alpaca for the body and some contrasting yarn for the sleeves and hood. Thoughts on this? Or other ideas. Let me know. Its pretty high on my list right now!

summer knitting

I haven't had my usual knitting time with school and all, but I ended up hammering through a few projects. I finished the POW shawl redeux after Missy the wonderdog ate the first one. And to think I used to complain that I didn't have the excuse that the dog ate my homework...

I also finished the Monkey socks previously blogged about. Thanks Aimee, for the great birthday yarn. And I made Charade socks with some yarn I got from my Sockapalooza 4 pal. It's fun yarn to work with I like the way it turned out. I am usually not a pink person but I like these socks a lot.

Finally I made a Clapotis out of Lanas Puras Fingering weight yarn. Feels like buttah! So soft, so smooth, so warm for the CO winter. I can't wait. I know so many people who don't want summer to end but I love the cooler weather. I am sad to say that I won't have a new hand knit sweater for fall, but that's okay. Nursing school wins out this year. This may be all the knitting I successfully complete for quite a while! We have an incredibly busy fall ahead of us.

Happy Fall Knitting and Happy Birthday Aimee!

Sorry for the crap photos. I had okay light and then right as I took the 2nd picture the sun went behind a cloud and the room got very dark. I don't have time or energy to seek out a better spot so this is what I have to live with. Someday I will get better.

timing is everything

My computer woes have managed to follow me into my second term of school. You may not remember, but I bought a new macbook back in March (it arrived March 28 to be exact). July 14th or so, after being in and out of the Genius Bar 6 times since March I took my computer in again. It was supposed to take 5 days to replace the logic board and anything else that was being persnickety and then I would have it back. No problem I said. I will have it back before finals week and be set. I can handle that.

Well, it's finals week. In fact I only have 3 days left of school and I just found out yesterday that once they fixed everything (basically gutted it and began anew), it refused to work. In fact, while running their diagnostics it just kept shutting down on it's own. Now that's a problem I never had with it (thank goodness). Timing is definitely everything. My new brand new computer will be here sometime next week. The delay is because I had it custom configured and they have to match the specs.

Thank goodness Mr. Fireman has a computer and doesn't mind if I monopolize it. So for the moment, to control the stress of not having my OWN computer, I have been knitting. And not studying. Somehow, it is less effective stress management. Hopefully soon I will have photos for you of a Clapotis (halfway), the Print O' the Wave Redo (just need to kitchner 17 piddily stitches) and the Boyfriend Socks (actually finished much earlier in the month).

Hope all is well and I will post when I am back in computer land. Or at least with my own computer again.

New Yarn Store in town

I went to the latest addition to great yarn stores in Portland today. It is way up north from my house, but well worth the drive. Twisted lived up to its homepage promise of friendliness and unique yarns. The women running the shop (I apologize for forgetting to ask their names) were warm, knowledgeable, friendly, and people I would love to hang out with and knit. They were eager to share their store and yarns and I can't wait to go back! They carry unique yarns like yarntini and Karen's Heavenly Creations, as well as more well known brands like Debbie Bliss, Noro, and Schusterman. It was fantastic to see all of the choices and to know that more are coming every day. I'm sad to say for Lorie's sake that they arrange yarns mostly by brand and not by weight (her favorite way of organizing), but I felt like the owners were so friendly and knowledgeable that if I were seeking a specific weight, they would be eager to help me find it. Definitely a must see on any trips to Portland!

Rich is still in Australia. Word has it that he has purchased 12 (TWELVE) skeins of yarn for me. At least 6 are JJ's and 6 are Australian. He went to a lovely yarn shop in Sydney called The Knitting Room. The owner helped him select yarn for me and I can't wait to see what he's purchased. Rumor has it, she will ship to us up here too. So if anyone needs new JJ's, you know where to find it. If you haven't experienced JJ's yarn yet, it's lovely. Fiber Trends carries it in the US, but its more expensive than purchasing it in New Zealand or Australia. And her colorways are fantastic.

Writing of colorways, I purchased two skeins at Twisted today. I got a skein of Noro Silk Garden Lite in a pink multicolored skein to make a scarf for Miss Hannah, since I made her sister a new scarf. I also couldn't resist a skein of Karen's Heavenly Creations in Confetti to make a fun scarf for myself. I'll photograph later. If anyone knows of a ruffly scarf pattern for a five year-old, please send me a link. I need something cute and easy for this scarf.

Photos, photos, photos

First news, I bought a bike! It's a Marin Kentfield in a charcoal color. I've put on silver fenders, a black rack, a silver bottle holder, and a pretty floral bell! I love my bike. I rode it to work yesterday and fell off on the way home. My knees are scraped and bruised and my thighs hurt like a son of a gun, but I'm game to go again as soon as it cools down. It was over 100 degrees today and I'm a wuss in the heat. I'm getting up early tomorrow to ride, but not take the bike to work. Oh, and I got a spiffy pink, silver, and white helmet to accessorize with. Now for the floral basket that Leslie is forbidding and I'll be set!

Okay, I dug out yarn I don't believe there are photos for. Here is a montage of sock yarns. The turquoise/teal is Koigu. The red/orange blend is Lorna's Laces. The black/grey/pink is Scout's Sock Yarn, and the blue/orange/Green/purple/brick is Socks That Rock in a millend that you can't have.



Here is a photo of the beautiful alpaca I purchased outside of Hood River.


Here is the di.ve Autunno as well.


And now for two finished Amanda's Squatty Sidekicks with coin purses. The rusty one is out of Manos and the purple/green is out of Malabrigio. I did not like knitting with the Malabrigio compared to the Manos and I'm not sure I would purchase it again. I can't explain in words why I didn't like it, but in my hands it wasn't as pleasant to knit with as the Manos. I also did not like the colors pre-felting. They were really muddy to me. They lightened during felting and now I like it much better. I would also say that knitting this pattern in thick/thin yarns (as both Manos and Malabrigio are) was somewhat of a mistake. The bottom is knitted as a rectangle. With the Malabrigio purse, the rectangle was wider at one end than the other. During felting, this went wonky and the whole purse is now somewhat mis-shapen as a result. I stretched and worked it during the drying process, but could not erase this effect. So beware the two yarns when felting a shaped article!


I just purchased three knitting books from amazon.com. I got Knit 2 Together, Stitch and Bitch Nation, and Never Felt Better. I love Nicky Epstein's new felting book. It is a work of art. I highly recommend it to everyone out there who felts regularly and wants a clearer understanding of felting with lace, cables, or colorwork. It's brilliant.5

Finally, the felted Noro Kureyon purse I made last year redone. I tried to give it to Susan and when I saw it in her hands I could see that it was all wrong. It didn't just feel wrong it was. I went to JoAnn's for buttons for the Squatty's and bought handles for the Kureyon. I cut off the old handles, tightened up the ripple effect and sewed in one handle. I feel that it doesn't need two, but I may change my mind and add the second after I try to use it. Anyway, comments are welcome.



Finally, I knit a baby hat for my friends Mark and Natali, but I neglected to photograph it before sending it off. It was a great pattern that I will share at a later date.

I'm madly trying to finish socks and the scarf before Rich gets home, but I'm not getting much done in the heat.

Any guesses as to what this is? Lorie already knows...

Where to begin?

Oh boy, it's been a while. Big news on the non-knitting front, but not much knitting going on. Big news #1 - I bought a house! Couldn't let myself get too far behind Aimee :) Big news #2 - Just had a big birthday, one of those "decade" birthdays. My conclusion ... "it's the new 20." I had a great day. Aimee helped me celebrate by coming back to the hood, attending my little party and then treating me (along with Sara) to a fancy drink "the burbon renewal" at a swanky eatery. But that's not all... the next day we had potato doughnuts and lattes at Hideaway and then went to the Black Sheep Gathering. As Aimee mentioned, I have be regaled with a beautiful skein of STR in a gorgeous red colorway "Mustang Sally." I love it!!! By the end of 2007 I will post a picture of these socks. You heard it here first.


As far as the house goes, the closing date is scheduled for July 8 and I'll be moving on July 20. Only 3 weeks away and I'm ready to start packing and getting my ducks in a row for the move. I love the house and can't wait to settle in and see all the ways I can make this house mine.

As for knitting, my long search for yarn for the Rowena sweater from Knit Two Together has finally come to an end. I found a 100% merino in charcol gray. I love the yarn. However... (this is where I need advice)... I've been working on my gauge swatch. I need 6.25 sts/in. On size 4 needles I'm getting 5.5 sts/in. I have very little confidence that size 3s will get me to 6.25 and I'm not sure I'd like the result. The yarn suggests size 5 and with my knitting the result with the 4s is very nice (much nicer that the 5s). Since I plan to make the smallest size sweater, I can't just go down a size or two. I really, really want to use this yarn. I really don't want to mess with resizing. I just want to make the sweater!! I think I should try another swatch on size 3s. Do you agree? Please help me!

New yarn purchases at the BSG also include some Classic Alpaca in a heather green from America's Alpaca and a superwash wool from Wolf Creek Wools in Fall Colors. I couldn't resist this one - I just love the colors. I also got a hat pattern called Mosaic Triangles. Will post pics of my yarn p0rn soon. I need to take the pic and now it's too dark.

Last but not least, I made these for my sister-in-law for her birthday. They look ok, I guess, if you don't compare them to the picture (from One Skein). She bought me the book and loved the cupcakes - well, here you have them.


Oh yeah, one more thing... if you want to buy a new copy of Knit Two Together, they're on sale at Amazon.com for only $5.50. My copy just arrived today and it looks great. I'm kicking myself for not getting a copy for Aimee -- arrgh. Oh well, next time I see a deal, I'll be thinking of y'all.

Weekend o' Yarn

I went to Eugene this past weekend to help Lorie celebrate an auspicious birthday and to go to Black Sheep Festival. Both were lots of fun. I bought Lorie her first sock yarn and obtained a mill-end from Socks that Rock at a discount price in a colorway I liked more because of the fading due to it being a mill-end! It is Titanium, but you wouldn't know it to see it! I'll take photos of all of my yarn stash soon. I'm busy cataloging it, but that's another story.

Rich and I took a drive to Mt. Hood on Sunday. It was totally fogged in and snowing, so we left and went on to Hood River via Hwy. 35. On the way there was a sign for a yarn shop and Alpacas! Without even pointing it out, Rich noticed and made the turn off the highway. We went to the Foothills Yarn and Fiber shop which was fantastic. The owner, Connie, was warm and welcoming and willing to share her immense knowledge! She showed us the shop and told us her philosophy for yarn was to only purchase the softest yarns available. She had the largest collection of alpaca (from her alpacas and many others) I have ever seen! She had tons of knitted up projects, current books I hadn't seen yet and a great atmosphere. Two cats inhabit the shop, Knit and Purl. Sweetest ca†s ever! She also has a dog named Charlie who guards the alpacas. She and her husband both spin and were happy to show off their wheels and technique. We also got to feed the alpacas. It was excellent. So excellent I walked out with four skeins of yarn for three more projects! I bought a 600 yd. skein of alpaca to make Rich a vest. I also bought a skein of the alpaca they produce. It will be a hatband on a black hat or for a stranded hat. And then I bought the softest merino to make a hat or handwarmers with.

Rich and I drove on and took the scenic waterfall route back to Portland. We climbed up a few and they were stunning. It was a great day, which we needed, since he just left for three weeks. Besides working, he will be yarn shopping for me in NZ and AUS! I can't wait to see what he buys. I'll post photos of yarn soon.

I decided to put my entire stash on a spreadsheet on Google! I've made good progress and am now daunted by the 30+ projects I have facing me. Argh. But its great to see all of the yarn layed out in an orderly fashion. Now I can add a tab for projects I want to do but don't have the yarn for! It goes to show that I truly am a librarian down to my knitting fingers.

Okay, back to my second Squatty, socks, and cashmere scarf. Will I ever finish? I'll report soon on Malabrigio vs. Manos. To me, there is no comparison.

Oh I Wish I Had TIME

Let's see. I am a little late in showing the bday present I got from Aimee. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU. I love it. It is a ball of Scout's Swag Sock Yarn in Snowbunny. Winding it into a ball proved to be a tough task. Let's just say with all the knots it took about 3 days! OOPS. Guess I need to invest in a swift. The yarn is slated to become a pair of Monkey's!

Today I received my birthday gift to myself/present from Steve's dad and stepmom (50/50 funding). It is a Tatami Kimono Sweater Kit from Sundara Yarn in Sangria over Garnett. Oh I can't wait. But I have bunches of other things on the needles, and I have just started a hectic week.

The List of Projects:
1. Snicket Socks in Reynolds Soft Sea Wool Pink for my Sock Pal (August 2 deadline)
2. Print o' The Wave shawl by Eunny Jang in Alpaca with a Twist (August Deadline- cuz I say so). This is the redo of the print of the wave I made last year...the one my dog got her teeth into. I want it done because it was already done once.
3. Boyfriend Socks in Trekking ProNatura in a Blue and Green colorway for Mr. Fireman (no deadline)

So, at this point, I think I can manage at least the first two projects by their deadlines. I am to the instep of the 2nd Snickett sock and use that as bus knitting. I am also 22 (out of 34) or so repeats into the center panel on the shawl. Maybe, oh maybe with some time here and there I will be able to cast on for a monkey sometime in July! That would be great! Unless school takes over too much, which it might!

Take care and Happy Knitting!

socks socks socks socks

Well, I have been a bit slow to post my progress. First with a progress report and explanation of some of the photos. The green striped socks were made back in December/January (yikes) out of Austermann Step (forgotten color). Aimee bought the same yarn and I can't wait to see how hers turned out. I was bummed that the striping is a bit off, but was not so bummed to fix the issue! The Anastasia socks by pepperknit were done in March out of Cherry Hills Sock Yarn (don't remember the colorway). The red ones are my treasured Embossed Leaves socks from Interwave Fall 05 that were partially destroyed by our puppy. I didn't photograph the remaining yarn, but ended up with less than 1 yard of Koigu yarn left after using the remnants from the first go round and the salvaged yarn that I got out of the dogs mouth! Yep, the dog ate my knitting.

The delicate pink socks (pattern: Snickett Socks from MagKnits) are for Sockapalooza 4. I am finally getting somewhere on these. I love how they look and really hope my sock pal loves them. She has a larger foot than I do so, I am going to have to have someone else try them on to make sure they fit around before finishing the toe. The only person with the same measurements around is Mr. Fireman, so I need to wrangle him into pretty pink socks! I am not sure he will be too agreeable. For now, you all get to see how much longer they are than socks made for me would be. My sock pals' foot is 1+ inch longer than mine. These socks are knitted out of Reynolds Sea Wool which is fantastic. I did not expect to enjoy knitting with the yarn as much as I have. It's sproingy and soft and luscious. I hope my pal, who likes natural fibers will enjoy them! (Can you tell this is the first sockapalooza I have participated in?).

Lost camera

I've seen my camera since the move, but now I can't find it. Argh. Anyway, I've been knitting socks, my cashmere scarf, finished a baby hat, and need to felt a purse I made for my mom. I found the cutest pattern on the new Interweave Daily Knitting letter thing. I had randomly purchased two skeins of Manos for my mom's new purse without a pattern. Luckily, Amanda's pattern came along at the right time!

The baby hat is out of Crystal Palace Fjord. Its a cute pattern that I also found free on the internet. Photos soon.

I also purchased yarn to make one more for Kathleen in this great yarn:

Here's a great way to impress the neighbor (especially when he's the president of the Friends of the *******) at my work. I was wearing a t-shirt while doing yardwork when said neighbor appeared. He, Rich, and I all chatted about the yard, the fence, the neighborhood. After we wrapped it up, I headed inside only to look down and discover the t-shirt I was wearing had "Overworked and Underfucked" in giant letters on the front. When I pointed this out to Rich (giver of said t-shirt), he started laughing. Good times.

Update: Rich found the camera. I'll add images post-felting. Or write a new post.

New house and sprained thumb

We are moved! I love our house. The location is great. I've managed to unpack our bedroom, the living room, and kitchen. Things have been going swimmingly until yesterday. I was in my car at work. I reached across to grab a stack of decorating books with my right hand and when I picked it up, I heard a loud pop and felt something go awry in my right hand. I ignored it and went to work as usual. Within two hours my fingers were numb and my hand was swollen and throbbing. After a visit to ZoomCare and a set of x-rays, it was determined that I had sprained my thumb joint and damaged the soft tissues in my hand. I'm allowed to do nothing with my right hand for at least a week and maybe longer. No unpacking, no knitting, no holding books. Work is going to suck! Mind you, I'm not in terrible pain unless I try to twist my wrist or use my thumb! Okay, typing one-handed sucks. And no matter how well I can use my left hand, there are certain things that I just can't left handed. I'll leave that up to your imagination.

a disgruntled model and a favorite knit

Ahh...models. Sometimes they are good and sometimes not. Geoffery the Giraffe was less than compliant about wearing a pink baby sweater. After a few words, and him reminding me that he is a male giraffe (like one can tell when they are stuffed), he agreed and floppily laid there while I took the best photo I could. I don't know why the photo only shows up sideways. Oh I don't understand blogger at times. (Yes, I have lost what little mind I had and there are two weeks of the term left!)

I LOVE this sweater. It is the February Sweater from Knitters Almanac by Elizabeth Zimmerman. A zillion bloggers have knit this little number and now I can see why. It's fun, it's fast, it's fabulous! I want to knit a million more.

Specs:
Started: Friday April 27, 2007
Completed: Tuesday May 1, 2007 (It would have been done on Monday but I had to study for a test).

Yarn: approx 100g Jaeger Aqua (pink) + small amount of left over Knitpicks shine (cream). That's right, this little beauty was made with about 2 1/4 balls of yarn. Considering that it was all I had in my stash of both, I was pleasantly surprised.

Needles: Clover Bamboo US4 circular

I have more knits to show you, but my picture taking skills suck right now. And they are socks that I have already worn a number of times and need to wash before I can show you. Hope all is well and the knitting is fantastic.

Love and Hugs,
Me

Stephanie making socks

I just finished watching the Knitty Gritty episode with yarn superstar, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee! It was fabulous. Even though I've knitted a few pairs of socks, I feel like I'm going to have great understanding of the construction and make the process even faster. She was her dry, witty self and I loved it. Yes, Lorie. I saved the episode. How you will watch it, I don't know. But it's here waiting for you.

On another note, Cat Bordhi was on another episode and she has reinvented sock making. I can't wait to get her new book and learn how to do this. It looks totally cool and may turn sock-making on its head! And it still works on two circulars, my way.

I haven't been knitting much. House buying, painting, cleaning, and moving soon have sucked up all of my energy. I have been reading a ton and watching some mindless movies. I loved "This Film is Not Yet Rated". It was a great look at the MPAA rating system and how it isn't fair. I also, to my surprise, like "Stick It". Its a movie about a gymnast who has retired early and her forced return. I thought, more teen schlock. I was surprised. It was actually funny and heart-warming.

Okay, off to clean more windows.

Yarn? Check.

Aimee and I did the Portland yarn crawl today. Thanks, Aimee! After visiting 3 LYS and parting ways, I stopped by Lint on my way home. Lo and behold, I found and purchased yarn for the Pearl Buck sweater. Aimee, it's better than the Rowan Felted Tweed. And the nice owner of Lint helped me with good knitterly advice after consulting my pattern. I ended up with Berroco Ultra Alpaca (a 50/50 wool/alpaca blend) in the cranberry mix colorway. I looked for an accurate photo online, but none capture the true color. I love it!

I got to see Aimee's new house. It's big and beautiful and waiting to be lived in. Can't wait to see it with all the stuff and fewer paint fumes (not too bad anymore). Great to see you, Aimee, and thanks for having me.

On this trip I experienced McMinnville, OR for the first time. I got to visit a library friend and my Guadalajara roommate, Dee. My visit included a stroll down what seemed like main street. Fancy there was a beautiful yarn shop along the way and I just so happened to get some more Classic Elite Miracle, this time in a light bluish tone. Another lacy scarf on the horizon (distant, but out there).

If that weren't enough, upon returning from Portland, I got dinner invitation to Annie and Seth's. That means I got by baby fix with Zara, play time with Boris, lovely adult conversation, and a delicious meal. All in all, a delightful weekend.

Organization

Oh the doggy, oh the Print 'o the Wave, oh the tragedy. Dani, I feel for ya.

Over in my neck of the woods not much knitting is happening. I've actually been reading(!) and have otherwise kept occupied with a social life and activities such as the shooting of guns, slingshots, bows and arrows. It's true. Part of my knitting hiatus stems from the fact that I have yet to find decide upon yarn for two sweaters in the chemise. So I busied myself last night organizing my pattern stash. One binder is now two. Ideas are brewing. Yarn shopping will take place this weekend, I hope.

I never posted my finished scarf (partially finished photo posted earlier) or the one I made after that, or the hat. Oh well. That was on my trip in February. I am looking forward to the Year of the Sweater. Maybe even the Year of the Sock.

Happy knitting, studying, and moving to ya!

Lorie

I should be studying...

Last week actually managed to get worse before it got better. I couldn't even take a picture of the horror that occurred on Sunday. But the Print o' the Wave Shawl that I posted about a while ago is no longer.... Missy, the cute innocent dog in the photos managed to literally get her paws (and teeth) on it and it is now 8 smaller balls of yarn waiting to be washed and dried and re-wound and re-knit. Also, in another photo posted today, there is only one red sock shown. And in reality there were two before she ate 4" off the cuff while I was attempting to salvage the shawl. It was so sad it was funny. Basically two doors got left open that were supposed to be closed, and the rest is doggy byproduct!

On a good note, my new computer arrived yesterday. Fortunately I was here when the FedEx guy came, but immediately had to leave for 8 hours of school. So I didn't get to touch it until last night and then it took 4 hours today at the Genius Bar to migrate all of my stuff from my old computer to the new one. Some karma was on my side though, as my old computer waited until the last GB or so in the transfer before it crashed for good. So I didn't get some of the last photos off the old computer, but all the important ones have been saved on disk. Thank goodness!

To explain the photos, the first is Missy and the coveted new computer....ahhhh isn't she cute? But don't turn your back or leave yarn out. She is not detoured by pointy sticks. And the 2nd is of some recent stuff. Red sock #1 which will hopefully have a partner again if I end up having enough left over yarn to make it happen. The scarf ended up being a gift for a friend and the stethoscope represents my life right now. It has somewhat replaced knitting for now. But when I get to it I will post a pic of my newest socks. I just have to sew down a picot edge and they will be done. Something to stay tuned for.

Take care!

to see if it all works

I had a post the other day that I had carefully written out, but I didn't email it because it sounded like a pathetic country song. Instead of losing the house, the husband and my job, in the last week I have managed to find a crack in the windshield of our '06 car, the dog we are watching for family had a seizure and an expensive vet visit, and then my computer died. That was Monday through Wednesday of my Spring Break. Exciting, huh?

So now onto exciting news. Yesterday we went rock climbing....it was the first time in two years and reminded me of how much I really miss it. It was rewarding and challenging and fun and painful all at the same time. And now my forearms are on fire from typing a paragraph and a half and it feels so good! :)

Also, I am still working on picking out the new computer. Luckily for us, we get a free printer out of the deal. Which is great and amazing considering that our current printer (which was free because it sat in a closet so long) jams regularly and takes 1 hour to print out 20+ pages. Yes, that says 1 HOUR, not one minute. The spec sheets says it should print out 20 pages in 2 minutes....HAHAHAHA. It's a bit of an understatement don't you think? So we are excited at the prospect of a new printer, especially one that is a copier/scanner as well since we have never had either capability beofre.

In knitting news, I managed a pair of socks in my first 8 weeks of RN school. I finished them right before spring break. I will post photos later. Also I have gotten 3/4 the way through another pair in the last week. Yay! I have more knitting I am hoping to do, including a baby sweater but we will see how quick it all goes with school staring again next week. When I get the new computer I promise I will post photos. I don't want to download them to Steve's computer, although I am sure he wouldn't mind.

Hope all is well with you all. Love the new design, the colors are favorites of mine as well.

Ummmm, I think I changed the blog

Hi. I played with the blog tonight. Let me know what you think of the new color scheme. Its the colors I would pick for my house if mine were the only vote. Alas, its not and thus I had to settle for pale imitations. If you have any comments/suggestions let me know. Dani, please try to post and see if your log in works!

When good knitting goes bad

(I don't know why this keeps posting sideways, when that isn't how the photo was taken. Tilt your head and imagine it upright.)

It's happened. I've heard the horror stories and thought, well that won't happen to me. Well it has. I felted the Lucy bag. Good so far. I pulled the Lucy bag out of the washer only to realize that somewhere in the knitting process, I dropped a stitch. Not good. Not good at all. I'm posting pictures to see if someone has an idea for a fix. I don't yet. I'm thinking of cutting it and sewing it together, but it won't quite be aligned. Other ideas? Here are photos. The good side and the damaged one.

Argh.

Tons o'knitting

I've been busy finishing projects, starting new ones, and thinking of what's next. I've knit slippers for my sister's birthday, but forgot photos. Jodi, if you read this blog, please send photos!

I'm still getting used to my new computer. I'm figuring out new iPhoto with my older (1 1/2 years) camera. Trying to get them to talk to each other is a challenge. We'll hope this works!


I finished my armwarmers and love them. I borrowed an idea from Dani and ran with it. She made her handwarmers out of Koigu (there's a story on the blog about their ultimate fate). Mine are out of Socks that Rock medium weight. I love the coloration and design. There is some pooling, but only when I decreased to a certain size to fit my arms. These are truly custom made. I used two size 2 circulars (similar to how I knit socks) and tried them on repeatedly as I knit, increasing and decreasing as necessary. I didn't decrease the hand portion enough (I forgot about the thumbs and how they affect the width of the hand), so they were loose. I tried, somewhat successfully, to felt them a little bit to shrink them up. I also added elastic to the ruffled edge to help them stay on my hands. Before the elastic was added, they kept sliding up as I typed and drove, which didn't work well. I'm ready to tackle another pair, this time with cables, after I finish another pair of socks.



I've also finished my Lucy bag, but I need to felt it. I'm madly working on my Karabella Boise scarf and am at the 24" mark. I'm liking the pattern I've developed. Its interesting enough to keep knitting, but not so complicated that I can't do anything else. When I finish the scarf, I'm going to submit the pattern to knitty.com so maybe I'll get published!


I've also made Rich's new nephew a wee hat out of Knitpicks Shine. I think that's all. Here's the photos.


Finally, here's a photo of Spike being scary (or scared)!

What Animal were you in a past life?

You Were an Otter

You are a faithful friend who guides others toward success. You are also light hearted, and love to play around.

What Animal Were You In a Past Life?

absence makes the heart grow fonder

I haven't picked up the needles in a week and besides, why should I? I have nothing on those needles, or any other needles at this time. I am done (except for a couple almost finished projects from early 2006...) with everything I set out to accomplish by the end of last week. I will post a pic of the brown sweater when I can convince Mr Fireman to take a good photo for me. Considering that I have seen him for less than 6 waking hours this week, it will not be anytime soon! Our schedules are a bit crazy now.

I started nursing school last monday Jan 22. It is clearly evident that my commute time will not be filled with knitting but rather flash cards for pharmacology and some book learnin'. I know I don't sound excited, but I am....it's just overshadowed by the overwhelming amount of work that I have to do, every single day. Sad to say but I don't know how much you all will hear from me over the next few months. I will do my best to pop in and comment and if I ever get to pick up the needles again I will share my joy with you all. I am counting down the 7 weeks to spring break, when I am positive I will be able to cast on a pair of socks. Seven weeks is not that far away right?

Hope your lives are full of knitting and fun and no pathophysiology notes or tests!

Love and hugs. me

belated 2006 photos, new for 2007

I have obviously been a bit absent, but still have been knitting. In fact, I have knit quite a bit. First, here are some photos of the Print of the Wave Shawl from Eunny . (I hope the link worked. I have had SOOO much trouble doing the links).


Not pictured includes the last of 2006. A pair of socks in Austermann Step yarn (with jojoba and aloe) with a short row heel. It was my first try at the short row heel and I like it but I imagine that the heels will wear out sooner than the normal heel that I am used to. I have to say I did enjoy not having to pick up stitches. Not pictured also includes the first fo of 2007. It is the Hourglass sweater with modifications. I will post a pic and info when I can. I am sad to say it is a bit larger than I wanted it to be but it will still be comfy and cozy.
And finally that brown blob that isn't showing up very well is the Vogue Knitting Fall 2006 Cabled Cardigan #19. It is coming along quite quickly considering that I cast on on 1/8/07. The goal is to have it done and wearable by 1/22/07.

Why such a set date you may ask? That is the day I start the BSRN program here and will then have limited knitting time. Also with all the snow in Denver I am needing as many warm sweaters as I can get my hands on. We are due for another snow this coming weekend, making it 5 weeks in a row. There is snow on the ground that is refusing to go away from Dec 21st! It has caused quite a mess including broken gas lines, frozen pipes and all kinds of other issues for the people here. Luckily we have avoided any accidents and major problems. We also feel thankful to have a home, even if the heater is not keeping up as well as we would like in the -8 degree temps at night. Hopefully you both are warm and happy!

New year, new projects (for me)

Since my last post on Nov 19 (!), much knitting has occurred, but very little documentation. Forgot to take photos of the Christmas hats, but here's the bag, a gift to my sister-in-law. A simple Booga bag, striped using a color scheme suggested by her. I decided to eliminate the surprise element in favor of picking colors she would like.

I have finally cast on the Lucy Bag using yarn purchased last spring. I love this color and its name, Blue Magic. Aimee and I didn't quite accomplish our plan of casting on during her last visit, but we did at least figure out which size to make (large ball, not tall ball). I am close to finishing my increasing then round and round I'll go.

As I'm now branching out to more than one project at a time, here's the beginnings of a scarf in a simple mistake rib pattern. With all of this super cold weather, I'm looking forward to adding a scarf to my wardrobe (although as Aimee can attest, I am rather attached to my purple cashmere beauty, not a hand knit, but still a delectable piece.)


Christmas gifts included several knitting books: Stitchionary 3 (thanks Aimee!), Knitting Nature, OneSkein, Knitting in Plain English, and Knitting to Go pattern cards. Quite the bounty, really. I'm ready for 2007 to be the Year of the Sweater. It's time for my first sweater and I have several in mind. The next step is to find yarn, and I've been looking. Aimee, do you think we'll be able to fit in any yarn shop visits when we're in Seattle next weekend? Or maybe a Portland shop or two on my way home. Other than sweaters, I still have a couple of projects in my chemise -- the market bag is one. With this cold weather, I may be moving the felted clogs into my chemise pronto.

Dani, I heard some crazy stories from Aimee about Extreme Denver and yarn shops. Here's to warmer weather and longer days. Happy New Year, everyone!

What Kind of Reader are you?

I haven't been knitting much this week. My iBook is in its final death throes even as I type this. I've managed to save all of my music, photos, etc. And I bought a new iMac which will be here on Tuesday! Yay! I'll post photos. No more laptop for me.

Okay, what kind of reader are you?

What Kind of Reader Are You? Your Result: Dedicated Reader You are always trying to find the time to get back to your book. You are convinced that the world would be a much better place if only everyone read more.
Literate Good Citizen
Obsessive-Compulsive Bookworm
Book Snob
Fad Reader
Non-Reader
What Kind of Reader Are You? Create Your Own Quiz

Sad news from our friend Kendra. She had Hobbes put to sleep because he was really, really sick. My heart goes out to you Kendo.

Aimee