The Hot Brunette

What treadmills were truly designed for

2006-08-06T18:27:00.000-07:00

Too cool!

The boy is coming into town tomorrow so I am going to be MIA (as if you'd know the difference with my lack of posting) for a little more than a week, but when I get back I have something to show you and it rhymes with "startin'." Oh and I'll be doing that too. Have a great week everyone!

I got a present in the mail yesterday!

2006-07-29T15:00:00.000-07:00

Yes, yesterday I finally received my first dress form. I felt it was time considering I really just plain need it for school.

Please try to ignore the view of my overloaded drafting table and ironing board in the background. The addition of my new dress form inspired me to completely rearrange my studio apartment. I love the new set up, but not everything has gotten to its new home.

So the new question is what to name her. I know another very well know blogger did this just a few months ago, but I still want some input too if anyone would like to share. Please, have at it.

A lot of words, not a lot of pictures

2006-07-20T01:42:00.000-07:00

I haven't been posting much, but I've still been reading other peoples blogs and they're all talking about not posting much. I guess this is the summer cycle. When I worked at the yarn shop the other girls were constantly telling me that they couldn't wait for summer because everything would slow way down and we'd have time to knit in the store-something we weren't supposed to do. But when you're working under the table and being wildly underpaid, well lets just say our boss got what she paid for. I think if I was still working in the yarn store I'd be doing a lot more knitting now since it would be forced sit and wait time.

I got back from Portland late Monday night after a fabulous weekend. Yes it was so good in fact that the boy is coming down to visit me the first week of August. Is it a bad idea to start something long distance? Yes, I think without a doubt its a bad idea. But then a lot of bad ideas that I've followed through on have turned out to be good ones. So, I'm going for it. Plus, are you really alive if you're going to pass up a romantic weekend with a gorgeous guy in a city you love when you're single and 24? I thought not.

I did manage to focus on something other than the boy this weekend and re-finished my Ms. Marigold. I'll try to post a pic a some point. Of course you can always scroll down a bit and see it since it looks almost exactly the same. I added some shaping at the waist on this one to show a bit more shape but other than that it looks the same. Hearten remains unchanged something I hope to remedy this weekend. Though were supposed to have record breaking heat this weekend so we'll see if that pans out. At least its cotton.

I also managed to swing by Lint a little shop in the Pearl District up in Portland. A nice cozy place, just what a yarn shop should be. And empty just like a yarn shop should be when its 80 degrees outside. The boy was totally game for it too. I give him a ton of credit for not just saying he was fine with it, but actually walking into the store and flipping through books for twenty minutes without checking every 3 minutes to see if I'd found what I was looking for. I was looking for the yarn to make this:

I didn't end up finding it, but I did pick up a skein of DB Cashmerino Aran for Fetching. I think having a few small project may actually get me to knit right now. Plus, the pattern promises a quick finish. I'll be testing that. Funny how my lack of knitting hasn't slowed my yarn buying habit at all...hmm.

So, anyone who watches Project Runway will know our girl Stacey was knocked off on the first show. It was harsh for all of us at school, but I couldn't say the decision was wrong. The idea of her dress was pretty but not innovative, not stunning and without any real voice. I also was straight embarrassed for her that she didn't learn how to use an industrial machine before going on the show particularly when its the third season and we all know that's what they use.

On the flip side, she's only been in fashion for about two years and most of that was in school. The fact that she was even considered with all of these very accomplished designers (most far from amateur) was pretty impressive. The competition this time around is so much tougher than the other seasons. I think she definitely would have made it farther in one of the previous seasons. But being 13th out of several thousand is pretty freaking good.

The boy is calling me so I'm off. Keeping the same weird hours is just one of the things we have in common.

Hope everyone's week is going well!

The Trifecta: Boy, Knitting and Project Runway.

2006-07-06T02:01:00.000-07:00

I have three excuses to explain my total lack of posting. 1) I have been working very hard, sewing night and day, to get through my pattern making course. Almost true. 2) My job has suddenly become so fascinating that I spend all my time thinking about how to do it better. In no way true. And finally 3) That boy in Portland has been taking up a lot of my time by being cute and sweet and making me take my vacation in Portland. Ah, that's the one. Just so you know I'm not totally crazy, I have always loved Portland and it was a probability I would head up there long before I met this boy. Isn't it fun how life works out.

With all that my knitting time has been minimal. But I am so close on Hearten. So close! I just have to finish the second sleeve and then seam everything. Here's a shot of the pieces to refresh your memories since I started this sweater at least 2 mos ago.

And I'm almost done fixing Ms. Marigold. It actually turned out to be a lot more work than I thought it would be. I had to frog it back to where the armholes are joined. And then I needed to take a few days off to allow myself to remember how much I wanted to wear it. All that's left is to pick up the ribbing around the neck.

I loath picking up stitches. Once that's done I'll have no problem finishing it. I just have to find that 1 hour block of time solely for picking up. It's not that it will take me that long. Its just that I have a thing. No really. When I was in high school I was tested for dyslexia and lo and behold I had it. It was no coincidence that my GPA jumped when I started taking un-timed tests. Funny thing was I didn't take any extra time. I just need to know I had it. This is true in so many areas of my life.

Changing topics...

I have some news that is so awesome I have to share now that I'm allowed to. You know Project Runway? That show I have been obsessed with since its inception. I now have a new reason to be totally obsessed. One of the contestants, Stacey Estrella, is a graduate of my school and has been a classmate of mine.

Everyone at school is So. Excited. I can't even explain it. Its true she would have no memory of me unless she noticed the number of times I knocked over a dressform in her presence, but I don't care. All of us are routing for her.

None of us have seen her since she got back from taping. She used to be by to meet with our teachers (my school is very small and my teachers very cool so the grads tend to hang around). We all of course think this means she's one of the final three and therefore is working on her line and trying to avoid giving away a secret that would cost her a million if it got out. The lid on that is totally sealed. But its just so cool to think about!

Alright. I'm off to work on necklines so I can try for Project Runway 5. Ha!

For all you cat lovers...this is too funny.

2006-06-19T01:06:00.000-07:00

Lying on your back knitting is the height of sophistication...

2006-06-13T10:53:00.000-07:00

This weekend I threw out my back. This is not the first time. Actually, its the third time in about 9 months. So, I haven't been able to do much of anything this weekend. Except of course some knitting. And some vicodin. The knitting went better than the vicodin. Now you can see!

Sorry about the Welcome to my Chest shot, but its kind of a busty top. And its tough to take these self portraits. You know.

Pattern: Ms. Marigold by the Zephyr Gals
Yarn: 2 and a little bit more of Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece
Color: Jungle Green #460
Needles: 32" Addi Naturas size 5 and 32" Addi Turbos size 3 for the ribbing
Size: 38" Bust
Changes: I didn't crochet the ruffles since I still haven't learned how to. I kept the stitches live when you are supposed to cast-off. Then I knit into each stitch 3 times (k1,kbl,k1). Then I purled 1 row, then knit the next 3 rows and cast off knitwise. This little bit of garter stitch gave some textured interest and also stopped it from curling up to much.
I also increased the 10 stitches you cast on when joining the work in the round. If I had to do it all again, I wouldn't have increased those. But I'm very happy with the sleeves.

I love this pattern. I think this is the first knit I really like and like on me. I'm not usually a ruffle type, but I love the girliness inherent in them. Overall I'd have to give this pattern a big thumbs up.

UPDATE: I started this post this morning all excited I threw on the tank as soon as I got my last end in and instantly loved it. So, I just tried it on again and really looked at it. Well, um, there's a mistake. Somehow I knit too many rows on the right side, so my left side is shorter than the right. Its enough of a problem that I'm going to have to undo half of it and fix it. Its funny though I'm not really that upset about it. Knowing I'm really going to wear this tank a lot makes me want to fix it and not get hung up in repeating half of the process. I'm off to a redo. Once I get it fixed and done I'll get a good shot on a dressform.

I hope everyone's week is off to a good start!

2006-06-11T15:13:00.000-07:00

I stole this from Elizabeth over at A Mingled Yarn. I hope you've seen this movie since its brilliant. Otherwise you won't get the joke and its a good one.

According to the "Which Big Lebowski character are you?" quiz:

Why don't you check it out? Or we cut off your Johnson!

.... Vagina.

When it rains...

2006-06-10T01:46:00.000-07:00

I had to post this tonight since I posted the saga of the boy who was a friend and who didn't want to be a boyfriend. So, I've been a little down about men for a while. A little cut off. More of my own doing than anything else. But this past weekend with the wedding fixed all that. I flirted shamelessly with the single boys and was generally just myself. And how fun it was. When I left Utah I left the new boys, but kept the reminder that I'm fun and I like boys and they like me.

But today I got a call from one of the guys from this weekend saying he really enjoyed hanging out with me and would I mind if we tried to get to know each other better. Mind? Really, how cute is that? It probably won't work but what the hell, he's a goodlooking sweetie who thinks I'm pretty and interesting and has been thinking about me all week. I'm a big believer in savoring compliments. Not getting arrogant and full of yourself, but enough to boost you up when your down. I was just savoring this feeling when I turned my cellphone on this evening. Clockwork, people. Clockwork.

There was a message from the boy-not-friend. He just wanted me to know that he'd done some "thinking" and that he wanted to get together and "talk." Unfortunately, to paraphrase one of my all time favorite movies, Swingers, they only come back when you're over them. Ah well. I'm sure he just wants to be friends again, but it really doesn't matter. I'll call him eventually, but I really think I'm done. Funny how life always work this way isn't it?

My knitting news is not very interesting, but I did make some progress on Ms. Marigold today while knitting with Nicole. The next pics I post will be finals! It'll probably be a week, but I'll make it. And maybe I'll have some boy stories.

Looong post. Picture heavy!

2006-06-06T02:01:00.000-07:00

Beware, long, rambly, disjointed post coming up.

I got back from my college roommate's wedding this morning. It was an interesting week, but it was a great time. I'll hit the highlights. The groom was nearly arrested at his bachelor party. The maid of honor's fiancee demanded his ring back (he returned it when he sobered up) and the bride broke into uncontrollable sobs as she started down the aisle (the tears were not of joy but of total fear of having 100 people staring at her--her dad had to talk her into staying). By the way she was walking down the aisle in a knee length black bubble skirt and white bustier with Anti-flag's "Rise-up" playing in the background.

The groom and groomsmen wore black three piece suits with Chuck Taylors and the bridesmaids were all in black with Fauxhawk hairdos (most of the groomsmen were sporting actual Mohawks so we felt it appropriate to mimic the theme). In the end it was a great party. They both are delighted to be married finally and not having to worry about throwing any kind of wedding for their parents. I think they would have hit Vegas had the mothers not been insistent. I take it as a very good sign that about six months ago they both wanted the wedding over, but the marriage to start. The happy couple are now on their way to Costa Rica. I can't wait until the pictures come back.

Thanks for indulging in that little vignette. And now for something completely different....

Many of the blogs I read, while not keeping up my own, are buzzing about the Summer of Stash. And it got me thinking. Not about how much yarn I have in my stash. I see that everyday sitting in my happy corner all soft and welcoming. Whispering things like: "Why do homework? Knit me up. I promise you'll like me. Come on first one's free..." No. What the summer of stash made me think about is what is hiding under my stash table. In my black faux alligator hat box. The UFO box. I gently opened it this evening and decided its time for a little inventory. And to fess up that some times on the blog I say I'm farther along on projects than I am as a nervous/hopeful wish thing. So here's all of it, and a little bit of shame and stagnation.

We'll start with the oldest projects in there:

This is the sleeve from Rebecca's Sweater with the Wide Collar. I can't decide what to do with this. I like the sweater but I'm afraid that it's going to make me look like the linebacker I fear I resemble. And honestly after seen the wedding video, I was in a strapless bustier, I'm not wrong about my huge shoulders. Frogging will probably occur.

This ity bity swatch like thing is actually my second attempt at starting Somewhat Cowl. I don't know why I dropped this one. I think it was the small gauge combined with trying to finish Clapotis for my Mom. I don't know if I'll finish it. But then I'd like to get the yarn out of my stash. Yep, this one is on the list for Summer of Stash.

Ultra Femme. Ah, the Ultra Femme. My problem here is that I'll never wear it. Yet another of my forgetting what I look like when presented with a model who in no way resembles me looking totally cute and like she's loving life in that top. Combine that with me having the perfect amount of all the necessary yarn and you have an almost finished object. To frog or not to frog?

Bamboo top by South West Trading Company. I think I will finish this one. And relatively soon. I'm just not all passionate about it. In fact, I never was. This was another batch of leftover yarn which needed a purpose. Second on the list.

My first pair of socks. I still have yet to get to them. I feel like I alternately need to be alone with the pattern and a block of completely uninterrupted time (I'm dyslexic, I like things untimed) or with three teachers watching me. Of course in that mental image, I'm really watching them. Another one for the list.

My new Clapotis. I'll finish this one, but then I feel no rush since I wont have anywhere to wear it for at least five months. This one will probably sit for a while.

This is the sleeve to my Phildar Jacket with the Wide Collar. I guess I have a thing for wide collars. Anyway, this was the project I was blowing through. The back then a front, then this much of the sleeve before I realized that I had converted the sizes incorrectly and that what I would end up with wouldn't close. I've frogged the rest of the jacket. But I haven't gotten over the "betrayal." This one may hit the list for this summer, if I can get over it. I hope I do since this would be perfect next fall.

Hearten is coming along. I've split the front for the V-neck so I'm basically halfway. Just the sleeves and seeming to go. This is definitely on the list.

Ms. Marigold. Most likely I will finish this first. Its a tank so that makes it faster, plus its a cute summer top.

Since I was looking at all the unfinished business I have going on in one corner of the room I couldn't help but look at the other side of the room.

This is how my brown satin and black lace dress looks right now. Almost finished. Still more hand work that needs to be done. But it really has to be done on a dressform. I'm hoping to purchase one in the next few weeks. Of course it would be easier to have one if I had some place to put it. Sigh. My studio apartment which seemed so perfect 8 months ago when I moved in and away from some crazy, one in particular, roommates is now showing its tarnish. But that's how it goes.

The last of the unfinished business (well the last I'm telling you about :)

All of these are books I've started. Most of them I've really enjoyed. At least I've enjoyed the few pages I've actually sat down and read. So by the end of the summer I want to have read all of them. Its not really a big challenge except I never seem to find the time to read. And when I do I generally opt for knitting instead. But this summer my classes are dying down a bit so I should have some more free time. At least that's what I'm hoping for!

Hope you all had a good weekend!

I'm still here!

2006-05-26T01:10:00.001-07:00

What do you do when you have a knitting blog, but its been practically months since you really sat down and knit anything? You show potentially boring pictures of FO you have from before your blog days. So, here are a couple of items I knit from a while ago.

This shawl is ridiculously simple to make. All garter stitch with fringe added. The fringe covers any mistakes that might have occurred in your increases (the shawl is knit from the "point" out). This was one of my first FO. I was delighted with it until I swung it around myself an realized that garter stitch and my shoulders combine to make me look like a linebacker. Still I love looking at it.

The yarn is a rayon cord with a mohair duplicate called La Boheme. I think I bought it more for the name. Its very pretty but you have to watch it while knitting so you don't end-up missing a thread.

This is another impossibly easy knit. Its all garter stitch but lengthwise so it looks a bit unique (to any non-knitter who doesn't know your tricks). The yarn is Noro Kochoran in Natural. I love the soft angora in this yarn, but I hardly ever wear it now since it always sheds.

I cast on for Ms. Marigold and have gotten through the first few sections. Its an interesting knit. Not so complicated I can't put it down for a couple of days, but entertaining enough so I enjoy my time with it.

This weekend is my first weekend without a class and without and work. I'm hoping to do some real knitting, like maybe finish something. Ooo, imagine that! I do have to make a skirt for my friends wedding next weekend though. And that always takes longer than expected. I have to go look in my UFO pile. I think it may be threatening to overflow...

a little peep show

2006-05-12T23:50:00.000-07:00

In knitting news, I have the sleeves left on Hearten and I'm half way on last months Project Spectrum project. Hopefully, by the end of this month I should be finished. I don't feel too bad about skipping May's project since I knit blue and green projects all the time. Speaking of which. I do have something interesting and knitting related to share. A little yarn porn for you.

As you can see my yarn diet is officially over. I tossed in the 7Up plus for a little contrasting color to the blue and green. Nicole I know you're shocked. I didn't get through as much of my stash as I hoped to while "fasting." But I did find a purpose for everything I have. These new purchases have purposes too.

The green Malabrigo (color Vaa) is going to magically become another Clapotis. The Cascade 220 is going to become some form of Forecast. I didn't like Forecast when I first laid eyes on it, but the incarnations I've seen around the blogsphere have been inspiring. Plus, I'm going to be changing it a lot. The Kidsilk Spray in Medici was an impulse by brought on by too little yarn consumption. I'm not sure what it will become, but something befitting the name "Medici." And finally that green Cotton Fleece is headed for Ms. Marigold I think. Actually I ordered three skiens which is too much for that particular project, so we'll see if I suddenly realize it was meant for something else.

My dress is coming a long. I'm definitely going to need a break for a while once I've finished the lace. Fortunately, I don't need to wear it until December, so the likelihood is I will love it again by then.

I hope I'll have a FO to show you guys sometime soon. I haven finished anything since February and I didn't even like it! Must finish, must finish....

Day 6

2006-05-07T00:26:00.000-07:00

So, I skipped day 5 since I really had nothing new to show you and I had been working on my project from 8:30am to 9pm. I was pretty wiped last night. Its a bit frustrating because after all of this work 1.) I'm still not done and 2.) I have nothing really interesting to show you. Here is a pic that will at least give you some idea of the shape and the bodice. Bear with me because I'm an even worse model than photographer (The dress actually does stay up by itself. I'm just trying to not get poked.).

Those tendrils on the lace haven't been trimmed and tacked down yet so they look a little funny. The tacking will also help add some shape to the gown (through some unorthodox doctoring). Getting some amount of shape in the waist was the major challenge in this design. I couldn't have any darts as they would look funny with the lace, but its an Empire waist so it really should have some substantial darts. It was tricky, but there is some shaping. You can really see it when I'm moving. No really, I swear.

Part of the reason everything takes so long is that every seam is sewn between 3 and 6 times. Most of those hand basted. Plus all of the ironing and general futzing, it takes a while. I do love that word. futz.

Anyway, I will continue to work on this project, though not at the 10-12 hrs a day pace. I'm shooting for a week from tomorrow being my finish date. The lace detail takes a lot of hand work and there is going to be a lot more of it on the skirt. I'll keep you posted when it gets more interesting. Plus, you never know. I may knit something.

Day 4

2006-05-04T21:27:00.000-07:00

Finally! I managed to get a decent picture of both the lace and the Duchess Satin so now you can really see what I've been raving about, but unable to show.

I spent this morning at Britex realizing that I was once again going to spend more than intended, but exactly what was called for. This brown satin is what I found. I chatted with my teacher about the cost and she once again pointed out that if you aren't going to cheap out on the work its probably best not to cheap out on the fabric either.

Here's a shot before I cut out the pieces and basted the silk organza underlining to it. Yes, it is as wide as it looks and quite a bit longer.

This week has been such a wonderful experience in so many ways. The most important for me is that I have more confidence in my sewing abilities. Knitting came rather easily to me. I just kind of got it. This was in no small part due to my excellent teacher, but also because it just made sense. Sewing was a bit more difficult. I don't think that veritably it is any harder, but it wasn't a natural craft for me. Also sewing is only 50% needle in hand or sitting at a machine. So much of it is in the planning and the ironing and the lining and the underlining etc. Knitting has some of this, but if you have a pattern there is less preparation. Not so with sewing.

Because I wasn't naturally gifted I have always felt my sewing skills were pretty weak. This week has been great for building my confidence in my own knowledge. Now, if only I can get someone to pay me for it :)

Tomorrow I will hopefully have a finished dress to show you. I'm off to cut out more lace.

Day 3

2006-05-03T23:29:00.000-07:00

Hand Stitching! I have to admit I was a little disappointed with this section of the class. We covered a few different types of stitches including catch stitch, fell stitch, prick stitch and slip stitch. Thing is in my other courses I learned all of these. It was good to practice though. It was also good to have the pros and cons of each discussed again. Here are some shots of muslin samples (the arrows indicate which direction the stitch should be moving). These will seem pretty basic if you've done a lot of sewing.

I'll be doing a lot of fell stitching to tact down my lace. I thought there would be something a little more magical to it all, but there it is. I think this is a common let down with anything you revere and then figure out. I have two friends in Med school right now and for both of them in their first year it was a pretty harsh realization that they weren't going to recieve some kind of magical powers to make them Doctors. I felt the same way when I was told I was an "adult." Whatever that means.

Anyway, I did have a setback today. I realized the beautiful brown charmeuse I bought doesn't fit at all with my vision of the dress. This hit me out of the blue as if I hadn't been looking at, fondling and basking in the sheen of this fabric for 3 days! The skirt needs to be full and a bit stiff. Anyone who's ever touched charmeuse knows that even the heavier versions are slinky and drapey. So, I called up Britex to check on some duchess satin. Turns out they have it in stock. I'm praying the color is right and that I will be able to get enough and that generally all these things will fall into the right place. This of course would totally blow my budget if it weren't for another woman in the class deciding she love the charmeuse and buying it off me. So, no harm, no foul.

I've just about finished the inner corselette for the foundation of the dress. I just need to attach the grograin ribbon at the bottom and its technically good to go. Now all I need to do for the dress is get the fabric, cut it, underline it, attach the corselette, line the dress, hem it complete any last fittings and apply lace over about 40% of the gown. And I have three days. Cool.

Here's a shot of the corselette closure:

The blue stitches are the boning channels. 17 channels in all. I am going to try to mold some cups into the bust for some more shaping tomorrow. This is not unexplored territory, but it is uncharted. It's damn near impossible to find a book about bras/bustiers/anything with cups. So, I'm going to chop up one of my old bras to try to avoid consuming too much time with finagling. More tomorrow.

Day 2

2006-05-02T19:20:00.000-07:00

This morning I realized that in order to work with my lace I needed to change my base pattern. I was planning on the seam for the waist falling at my natural waist. But the way the lace falls across the bodice you would see this random line underneath it. It would be distracting and it would look like a beginners mistake. So! I moved it up. The base dress is now a Empire line but the only seams visible, once the lace is in place, will be the side seams. I realize this is all pretty dry particularly since my camera batteries died today while I was at school so I have no pictures. As it is we haven't really learned any new techniques yet.

Tomorrow we have a double session of hand sewing techniques. The one hand technique (other than basting) I know I am going to be using for this dress is tacking the lace onto the charmuse. I'm pretty sure I know how to do this, but chances are there is a different or just improved way to do it.

I do have one picture for you this evening. These are the smaller all black motifs in the "less dramatic" portion of the lace.

I am going to be placing these around the skirt with little leaves of the black tulle sprouting off them. I know it sounds funky and it is, but in a good way. I swear.

I'm really sorry my photos aren't a little more compelling. Tomorrow I'll try to get some in natural light and I'll let you see the lovely brown of the dress. Ooo! :)

Couture School: Day 1

2006-05-01T20:09:00.000-07:00

This is going to be a quick post as I have a little homework to do for class and after 9 hours I'm just a little too tired to type for long. Plus, today I don't have a lot to share. But I do have this:

Welcome to Britex Fabrics

This was my view as I came in the back entrance off of Maiden Lane. I got this one quick shot before I was told there is no photography allowed. As if you can call what I do "photography." Anyway, if you have never been to Britex it is probably one of the most expensive (*the* most expensive in SF) fabric stores, but they also have the best fabrics. If you look hard you can probably find everything Britex has elsewhere, but if you need it and its high end they have it.

This picture only represents the first floor. There are 3 more with notions, bridal, home decorating and remnants. Check out the website for even better pics.

After two hours we all had our fabric and were ready to head back to our class and finish our muslin fittings. (I know I promised a muslin pic but I never got one. Just think strapless with a A-line floor length skirt.)

I went into Britex knowing exactly what I wanted and hoping it didn't cost nearly as much as I though it would. It turns out it cost exactly how much I thought it would. My mother would laugh at my picking out one of the most expensive laces in the store. But then take a look at it.

Please forgive the pictures as they really do not capture the beautiful ribbons and flower motif in this lace. This lace is know as an Alençon lace, named after the town where the technique was developed. You'll just have to trust me when I tell you it is one of the most beautiful laces I've ever seen. And I've been to the lace houses in Venice.

Hopefully, when I have it on the actual dress and can take a picture in natural light it will really come through just how gorgeous it is. I am cutting out the lace motifs and placing them ever so carefully around the bodice and skirt of my dress. I'd tell you more, like the color of the dress, but I have to have something to keep you coming back :)

More pics tomorrow when we'll be doing some actual samples!

How Angelica came undone.

2006-04-30T00:29:00.000-07:00

Angelica has been sitting on my "to finish" list for months and it has been sitting in my UFO basket for months like this:

I've decided no more! I love to knit and now have very little time to do it so I am not going to waste it on anymore projects that I know aren't for me. Tonight after knitting two rows and realizing that even if I finished this knit I would never wear it, Angelica became this:

I realize now there are a lot of contributing factors to this particular failed experiment. One is that the pattern calls for a very expensive silk yarn. I liked the pattern but knew I would never love it enough to blow a lot of money on it. So, Knit Picks Sierra had the right gauge, some silk and just all around seemed like a good substitute for the Hip Knits yarn called for. And in theory I standby that decision. However Sierra has one ingredient I have decided is not for me and I will avoid from now on: Alpaca. Its just too hot. San Francisco rarely gets below 45 degrees so plain old merino is warm enough. Plus, I hate how it makes my hands sweat when I'm knitting with it. Generally, alpaca is lovely if you need that kind of insulation, but here by the Bay you just don't need it. If anyone wants some dark magentaish silk/alpaca/maybe something else yarn, drop me a note.

Another failure this evening is realizing that my Phildar Jacket with the wide collar is probably going to be too small. What I though were conversions from cm to inches appear to actually be "sizes." Unfortunately, this means the 38-40 size I was knitting works out to be around a 36" bust. So I need to go up a size. I've only knit the back and one and a half sleeves so I'm going to have a glass of wine and frog it later this week.

Tomorrow I'm going to my first day of Couture school which I think means a trip to Britex and some rather expensive fabric shopping. I'll be sure to post some pics.

Hope all of your weekends have been less destructive and more constructive than mine! :)

It can't be knitting all the time... or at all recently

2006-04-24T22:02:00.000-07:00

I have been knitting and I have progress on a couple of things, but nothing worth any boring progress pictures. Instead I'm going to share with you the progress pictures I have on another little project I've been working on. One that has sucked up a fair amount of knitting time.

This is my first attempt at a Bustier with boning and everything. Here's the understructure. I still need to singe the ends of the boning and attach the flannel and outer fashion fabric. Here's the construction breakdown: a layer of silk charmeuse for the nice smooth lining, then a layer of twill fabric (just straight up canvas for me) to give some body, then silk organza wrapped boning, then comes a layer of flannel to cover the inner structure and finally the outer fabric.

My outer fabric is most likely going to be a black satin or black satin with black lace. I know that's a lot of black, but I'm a bridesmaid in what is turning out to be a Goth wedding. I'm going to be pairing it with a black taffeta skirt I have yet to make. I'll be sure to post a pic of the complete ensemble even if the details won't show-up due to the blackness.

So, the whole not knitting thing. This is the problem with actually having a job and school sucking up five or six days a week. I don't know how you guys with kids etc. ever get a chance to knit. Don't get me wrong, I love how busy I am. Well, I hate work (my boss is nuts) but school is going really well and I'm learning a ton. Who knew there was so much to learn about clothes? Next week I'm starting an intensive Couture sewing class. It's six days of 9-6 sewing, mostly by hand. I think it truly earns the term "intensive." I'm going to try to chronicle the experience here next week. In the next couple days I'll try to get a shot of the muslin for the ballgown I'm making.

It's weird how into school I am now. I was never a good student. There were only a few classes in school that I did really well in, particularly in high school. I can remember my father looking at me, report card in hand, and asking my how I could have an A in AP molecular bio and a C in advanced algebra. He really didn't like my answer of "I just don't care about that class." But that's how I've always been. Very stubborn. It's a good thing I'm finally doing something I really love. I'm off to do more homework. :)

Nothing is really work unless you would rather be doing something else.

-James M. Barrie

Meme!

2006-04-16T23:42:00.000-07:00

Nicole tagged me for this meme a couple weeks ago. So, here it is the sixes meme...why only five questions?

1. Six minutes to yourself: how would you spend them, ideally? Chances are, daydreaming.
2. Six bucks to spend right now: how would you spend it? The last of the peeps at Walgreen and a diet coke.
3. Six items in your house you could part with, right now, that you hadn't thought of already? The boxes of my brother's stuff, a pretty but useless to me mirror, the printer I never use, my girlfriends "ex" box with all his pictures, the "to shread" pile, and anything to do with taxes.
4. Six items you absolutely, positively could never part with in your house? My pictures, my card scrapbook, the earrings my Dad gave me, the bracelet my Mom gave me, my namesakes necklace, the blanket my grandmother crochet for me.
5. Six words you love? "Wanna go to the yarn store?" (Its different, Nicole. I swear!)

So, I'm tagging Rachel, Carrie and Jade. But only if they want to!

Did you know there's a International Knit in Public Day?

2006-04-14T16:31:00.000-07:00

Apparently, this gal had this idea to have a International Knit in Public Day. June 10th this year. I kinda like the idea, though I'm never shy about knitting in public. Here's the link to her site. World Wide Knit In Public Day 2006. I don't think its a big movement yet, but then movements get big by passing the idea along, right?

Quizzes! Oh how I love them.

2006-04-14T01:23:00.000-07:00

Update: Before you get to the quizzy good stuff stop by Google. Type in "failure" and hit "I'm feeling lucky." Hopefully google won't have "corrected" this by the time you get there. I'm not saying this represents my views on the subject one way or the other. Its just damn funny.

These quizzes are thanks to Tanya. She has a penchant for them as do I. In knitting news, there is none. I've gotten about an inch further on all my projects. Woo-hoo.

Myrna Loy
You scored 19% grit, 38% wit, 28% flair, and 33% class!

You are loaded with a quirky kind of class that people find irresistible. Men turn and look at you admiringly as you walk down the street, and even your rivals have a grudging respect for you. You usually know the right thing to say, do and, of course, wear. You can take charge of a situation when things get out of hand, and you do it with great poise and chic. Your wit and sense of fun endear you to your partner and every other man in the room. Your screen partners include William Powell and Cary Grant. You're quite a catch...if you want to be caught.

Find out what kind of classic leading man you'd make by taking the
Classic Leading Man Test.

My test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:

You scored higher than 38% on grit
You scored higher than 74% on wit
You scored higher than 22% on flair
You scored higher than 67% on class

Link: The Classic Dames Test written by gidgetgoes on Ok Cupid, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

Clark Gable
You scored 30% Tough, 9% Roguish, 9% Friendly, and 52% Charming!

You're a helluva guy, a real split personality and a bit of an enigma. On the one hand, you're a man's man, tough talking and ready for anything. But on the other hand, you soften your rough and tumble core with a disarmingly smooth exterior, and you make the ladies swoon. You're equally admired by both men and women alike, drinking other men under the table all the while charming the socks off half a dozen lovelies. You're a commanding presence, and you know how to get what - and who - you want when you want it. You're drawn to women who, like you, are savvy enough to deal with the world on their own terms. You work well with spitfires. Leading ladies include Joan Crawford, Myrna Loy, and Jean Harlow. No damsels in distress for you.

Find out what kind of classic dame you'd make by taking the
Classic Dames Test.

My test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:

You scored higher than 62% on Tough
You scored higher than 25% on Roguish
You scored higher than 6% on Friendly
You scored higher than 93% on Charming

Link: The Classic Leading Man Test written by gidgetgoes on Ok Cupid, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

Appropriate to be two side of what seems to be the same coin, no? At least I feel fairly confident that if I were a man I wouldn't suck. Of course there's no way to prove or disprove that so now I'm totally confident.

So, what leading lady are you?

Inch by inch, day by day

2006-04-09T21:37:00.000-07:00

I checked my blog on a PC recently. On Explorer. And apparently it's all kinds of messed-up. So I'm sorry about that since most of you probably are on a PC and using explorer. I will be working on that, but my HTML skills are a little rusty so it may take a while.

Anyway, as the yarn diet marches on I picked-up this little addition to my library in the hope that it will enhance my stash busting.

Now, I know. It's like I'm going over to the dark side. But I swear some of these patterns are so cute! No to mention I've never really liked knitted purses. I'm hoping I'll like crochet more. Hopefully, sometime soon I'll have some crochet to share. I've always liked the way Debbie Stoller explains things so maybe I'll be able to figure this out. If not I have a couple friends who actually know how to crochet very well so I'll be hitting them up for the inevitable "the hook goes where?" questions.

In other news I've cast on for my April Project Spectrum project.

I'm using my miss-chosen SWTC Bamboo in Tequila. Here's a shot of the swatch. I know you're riveted.

I'm going for a very basic stash busting top. I should be able to hammer it out by the end of the month, but of course I said that about my unfinished Hearten and Phildar sweaters a month ago. When I didn't have a job, and two more days of class. So, we'll see.

Onto the new Knitty. Is it just me and my far to corporate/homogenized world that I think the way Cookie A. displays her designs is creepy? I really don't dig the disembodied mannequin leg. It icks me out so much I have a hard time focusing on her designs which is unfortunate since she has some really great ones. There are only a couple other patterns I think I'd maybe knit Tendrils and T-twist. To be honest I'm not even sure about those. I don't know. I just wasn't taken with any of them. But then Clapotis is the only knitty pattern I've used in the two years I've been checking the mag out. Fortunately, its not like Vogue Knitting and I don't have to pay for it.

What did you do tonight?

2006-04-05T23:01:00.000-07:00

Tonight I went out to dinner with two of my favorite people. My mom and my second eldest brother. I had one of the nicest evenings I've had since this whole boy thing went down. Part of this was that I got drunk and my mom and bro laughed at me. Plus, all that good life talking you do with those close to you. I feel so lucky that I have such great family. Be aware at some point they will be severely pissing me off and I'll be doing a lot of bitching, but that's how family is right? :)

Anyway, knitting! Here's a shot of almost everything I've got going right now. At least everything I'm really working on.

(Sorry about my photos. I never wanted to be a photographer. I faked it for a while in 8th grade, but I never really cared.)

Nicole and I got together to knit a bit and I finally finished the back to Hearten. When I got to the armhole shaping I started to realize just how long this sweater is going to be. But then I remembered that almost all of the sweaters I've knit recently have been cropped and too short for my taste, so what I thought would be a problem turns out to be a plus.

My Phildar sweater is coming along. That's the second sleeve there. Now just the two fronts, the collar, and the button band at the bottom and it'll be finished...why did I have to get a job? Oh right, money/career and such...

In the last couple days I've managed to get almost half way on my Mystery Project. The bright blue on the right. I'm hoping by the end of next week I'll have some shots of it on a dressform. Actually, calling it a mystery project is really a lot of bull since you can probably guess what it is. And if you can't well then the suspense continues! (This is where I'd be cursing me 'cause I can never guess things unless there in a movie). Ok, here's the ultimate hint. It starts with a U and ends with a Femme...I can't keep secrets that I really want to tell.

"He felt that his whole life was some kind of dream and he sometimes wondered whose it was and whether they were enjoying it."

Douglas Adams

Flashing my stash

2006-04-01T12:14:00.000-08:00

Apparently, today is Flash Your Stash day. I did this a few months ago but a couple of things have changed. Combine that with I love my yarn and I'm flashing again. This is a shot of what I refer to as my happy place. It's a useless window seat in my apartment that I couldn't figure out what to do with. So, I store all my yarn on it surrounded by pics of my loved ones. I love it (and I don't have to worry about sun bleaching since this window gets virtually no sunlight).

And here's the break down for anyone who's interested. Some of these shots look familiar because in the 4 mos since I took these pics I haven't knit up the projects yet.

Let's start with the new stuff.

4 balls of SWTC Bamboo in color Tequilla.

This was earmarked for a tank I was designing. I found though that it's not quite right for it so we'll see what it turns into.

Two hanks of Koigu KPM merino:

I bought this because it was love at first sight. Like so many of these things it may not turn out. Though I did get lucky when looking in IK Winter 05 and found a pattern I like that calls for Koigu. We'll see if I can make it work though since my feet are pretty big (10.5) and I'll have to modify the pattern a bit.

Two hanks of Lorna's Laces sock yarn in Pinstripe.

I haven't found a pattern for it but I'm sure I'll figure out something. This will most likely be the next "on the bus" project.

10 balls of Rowan Calmer in Coffee Bean

You already know all about this becoming Loll.

This Karabella Majestic will still eventually becoming Belle Epoque. I swear it will.

This Peruvian Baby Cashmere will be a Somewhat Cowl. Eventually.

This All Seasons Cotton and Soft Kid is up for the Ultra Femme. I think the reason this hasn't actually become an Ultra Femme is that I don't really care about this pattern. Or this yarn for that matter. It's basically that I have the perfect amount of the right kind of matching yarn, but I'd be lying if I said I was really excited about this.

Jacqueline has inspired me to put this back up for butterfly. I was planning on ditching this idea, but I do think it will be a fun, challenging pattern. And since I have 4 balls not 3 it's really the only pattern that I have enough but not too much yarn for.

I have more yarn rolling around in those big baskets, but no more projects waiting. A lot of it will sit there for a while waiting to be knit. Sadly, hoping as I walk over and pick up another ball of Calmer to finish my two sweaters. But then there may be hope for it. My Aurora 8 sat there for a year before I found my Phildar Jacket with the Wide Collar which I now can't put down. So all the neglected balls can have hope. Why do I feel like I'm not talking about yarn anymore?

Have a great week!

The Inevitable Slip-Up

2006-03-30T18:52:00.000-08:00

What does one do with a wounded heart? Are you the type that sits at home feeling sorry and eating? Are you the type who throws yourself into work until you are so tired you can't feel anymore? Are you the "mature" type who gracefully accepts that things haven't worked out and soldiers on keeping the freak-out moments to alone/appropriate times? Or are you like me in that you do bits and pieces of all the above plus blow your yarn diet with an $90 purchase? I don't think I'm alone in this coping method.

Actually, I'm feeling much better about the whole thing and thank you to all of you who commented and emailed. It was very welcome support. But since I am the dramatic/slightly hysterical type a yarn purchase was necessary. I knit for relaxation so anything that adds to that is always a good choice. So, which yarn did I get? Duh! :) Rowan "Calmer."

10 skeins in Coffee Bean. This stuff is gorgeous. I'm working with Calmer in the Peacock color (not enough progress on Hearten to share) and I love its hand. This has been earmarked for the Loll Cardigan. Here's a shot of that in case you've missed it.

Now, I know that my "Up Next" list is getting a little more than long. But desperate times call for desperate measures. Actually, even just blue times call for a creamy, warm, coffee colored yarn. I'm not a hundred percent sold on Loll but it seems like everyone who's knit it enjoyed it and wears it. When I finally get to it I'll double check.

Despite the slip-up I am continuing my yarn diet. I've never been perfect in any kind of diet so if I can make it until the end of April without another slip I'm calling the whole thing a success. I'm off to knit some more. And by more I mean again since I haven't picked-up needles in well over a week!

Have a great weekend!

Sooo not about knitting

2006-03-26T23:17:00.000-08:00

I'm afraid I am about to completely transmute into one of those bloggers. For the record I have no problem with these bloggers (and I love my word of the day). The ones who say their running a knitting blog or a soccer blog or an underwater basket weaving blog and then they go ahead and talk about their lives. So, just to save you some time, if you're looking for knitting content check back next week. I swear I might actually knit something.

It's been a big week. I managed to get an internship that I am not at all looking forward to (it's a grunt job, but it fills an inch on the resume), to finished two more units in my design school and to tell one of my best friends I can't see him anymore. The latter, if you couldn't guess, is the topic from here on out.

I figured it was time to own up to how I *really* feel about him. There were reasons for the timing, but they aren't interesting. As I'm sure you can guess, he didn't feel the same. Of course I knew that. But I had to do it. Being all wrapped up in him is keeping me from finding someone who actually wants to be with me. And since I've been trying to get over him while being friends with him since I met him years ago, I finally accepted that it wasn't going to work. Beside all the ooey gooey feelings I have, I have to say, he is a really amazing person. He accepts people for who they are and is a great listener. He's also really fun to be with and is genuine in everything he does. I miss him already.

The guy who gave me the name for this blog was the one I called tonight after this very depressing evening. Poor boy I woke him up (he lives in New York). But then he called me in the middle of the night when his girlfriend dumped him so we're these kind of people. His response? "He's the one who blew it. You may have the whys now, but he's going to be the one with the what if in five years, not you." Its this kind of comment you need to hear at these moments. Whether they're true or not doesn't matter. Sometimes when life (or you) closes a door your friends climb in through the windows with margaritas. If you couldn't tell from this entry-from the very fact that I blogged about this. I've had a few.

So, to conclude :) here is one of my all time favorite quotes that suddenly feels applicable.

"Nothing takes the taste out of peanut butter quite like unrequited love." - Charlie Brown.

I swear my next entry will be about knitting. Oh, 27 days and counting.

No stitch this time

2006-03-20T00:58:00.000-08:00

No knitting to show for this week. The best laid plans, right? In knitting *related* news, I don't think I shared this, but I'm currently on a yarn diet. 20 days and no yarn purchases. For many of you this will seem like hardly any time at all, but for me this is quite a while to go. I was planning on only going for a month. But I was also going to finish the socks, Hearten and the Phildar jacket by the end of the month. Seems a little more than ambitious at this point. So I'm extending the diet another month. But since my retail habits can only be curtailed so much I purchased this book.

A gal named Terry commented on my blog a couple of times and suggested it in my quest to break the code on that brown Phildar sweater so many of us love. Thank you Terry for the heads up!

This book has everything. If anyone has any Danish/Estonian/French/German/Icelandic/Italian/Japanese/Norwegian/ Spanish/Swedish patterns, this book has your translations. It has two sections. The first is English into the other languages and the second the reverse. I bought it at the Yarn Market. I usually avoid this online shop since they are pretty overpriced, but it was one of the only places with this book in stock. Hopefully, sometime soon I will tackle that pattern. The only issue is I don't have any yarn for it so it'll be my first binge. Knit 'N' Tyme here I come!... in a month or so.

I hope everyone's week is off to good start!

Back to Back

2006-03-13T17:47:00.000-08:00

No sock knitting occurred this weekend but I did in fact do something.

For the longest time I had the first "lace" edge of Hearten done. Then it just sat there while I knit Ruby. I came back to it this weekend. I have to say I'm really enjoying knitting with Calmer. I generally don't like cotton, but for some reason this is different.

I'm not ploughing through this pattern by any means but I did manage some progress before the overwhelming need to cast on for the Phildar Jacket with the Wide Collar took me over. I'm knitting it in Aurora 8 Color 139. And I'd forgotten. I had forgotten my first love in knitting. Addi turbos and Aurora 8. Is there a better melding of metal and wool? I think not. Several times I have looked down at my knitting only to find I was at the end of the row without realizing it because everything was so smooth. As you can tell I fell in love all over again. I loved it so much I finished the back and have a little progress on a sleeve.

I don't have a pic of the sleeve though because I totally forgot to put it in my new knitting bag!

I got this from Spunky Eclectic and I really like it. I wouldn't say its love at first sight. But it is a really usable bag and I do love toile fabric. Plus, it cost me $35 so the love is growing.

It occurred to me this weekend that I've only ever knit Rebecca patterns as well as a few non-commercial blogger patterns. I've always stayed away from VK since those patterns just look scary and I haven't knit anything from IK yet. From this limited experience, I've felt that patterns for the most part always need to be altered and are never very clear.

Now, I'm hesitant to say this since I have so little experience with these patterns and everything is going so well, but they are the best patterns I've ever encountered. The translation on the Phildar pattern is actually clear and all the numbers add up (unlike Rebecca patterns). I feel this must be due to a translator who actually knits. The Rowan pattern is also very clear and makes sense in the construction. I'm only about a fifth of the way through them, but I'm really enjoying the process of knitting a clear pattern.

So, this week it'll be more pampering with Aurora 8 and maybe getting a little Calmer on the side.

Great pattern, but perhaps not for me.

2006-03-10T17:24:00.000-08:00

Here's my Project Spectrum project all finished:

Pattern: Ruby from Jems Collection by Saunashine
Yarn: about 2.75 balls of SWTC Phoenix
Color: Rose
Needles: Addi turbos size 8 and 6 for the ribbing
Size: L/XL
Changes: None. Though I ended up using less yarn than it called for.

As a fellow aspiring designer, I have to say, trying to fit people sucks. Everyone's different in more ways than you may realize. Though being knitters you've probably noticed. It's the reason no one can go out try on one pair of jeans and be done with it (at least no one I know). Because of that I don't really mean this comment as a criticism, but more as a thought. I think this pattern is probably best on women without a large difference in bust and waist measurements. I could be wrong but on my figure I end up with a large pocket or gap just under the bust down to the waist. If you're willing to play around with the decreases though you could probably remedy this.

My only other comment on this knit is that I think I would have gone with a different yarn had I knit with Phoenix before. It's beautiful yarn and has a lovely drape, but I think that for a vest I would have gone with a yarn with a little more body when knit up.

In retrospect I think a lot of these "problems" I encountered probably would have been remedied by knitting the smaller size. My bust size fell in between sizes so I took a guess. If I had knit with Phoenix before I probably would have gone with the smaller size (due to it's stretchiness).

All the comments aside, this pattern is really adorable and very clearly written. Its a fast knit and cleverly uses some basic tricks. If you are built like the model this a great, very wearable knit.

So, no more progress on my socks. It seems the turning of the heel, knitting the gusset, etc. has scared me off. Actually, this is just how I work. I go gang-busters until I hit a point where I don't know what I'm doing and then I drop it and run behind the nearest tree. Eventually, I will slowly approach it and try again. The pattern repeats itself if I hit another snag. I'm going to try and tackle them again this weekend. Everyone tells me its no big deal and I know I can handle it but at this point I think I have to call this behavior "my process."

Have a great weekend!

A package! For Me?!

2006-03-03T00:20:00.000-08:00

I have gone a bit nuts recently. I've been trying to find some Phildar patterns like mad. They just aren't distributed in the states. They are in French, but more and more they are being translated much the way Rebecca is. So, where are they known for speaking English and French? Yep, I got these from Canada. Knitntyme to be exact. Two have translations and the other I will attempt to translate using my very rusty French and my not so rusty dictionary.
And high up on the list of "to knit" are these two:

They are both gorgeous and I can't decide which I want more. I will most likely do the second one first since it's translated and I just want want want it. Plus, I have a yarn substitute with the same gauge in my stash already. It'll be a perfect sweater for San Francisco in July. But now I have to calm down since I've cast on for Hearten (two needle sizes smaller than called for to get gauge!). I still have a couple loose ends to tie up (literally) and my first pair of sock to finish. They're just simple all over rib but hopefully I'll be able to wear them soon.

Here's my progress in the sock arena:

As you can see I've just about gotten to the good stuff on both of them. I've never turned a heel or knit a gusset or whatever it is I'm about to do, but I'm excited. We'll see how successful I am. Fortunately, I've got friends in knitting places. :)

A mystery no more...and it should look familiar.

2006-02-27T00:59:00.000-08:00

Here it is. The knit I didn't tell you I was making, except to attempt a bit of suspense by putting it in my sidebar and calling it "a mystery project" (you'll note there's a new one). My Rebecca Wrap Sweater with Eyelets:

Pattern: Wrap Sweater with Eyelets from Rebecca No 29
Yarn: hmmm, six (?) skeins of GGH Soft Kid
Color: #058
Needles: Addi turbos size 7
Size: 38"
Changes: I increased the back so that it would actually fit. And when I say I, I mean Wendy. Unfortunately, it was so long ago I don't remember how. The only other change is I didn't knit the one row of purls for the neckline.

I am very happy with the way this sweater turned out. I really like the stitch pattern though it is very simple. Once you get past the Rebeccaness of the pattern (there are a couple places where the numbers simply don't add up) its an easy knit.

I do feel this is a bit anticlimactic for a number of reasons however. Firstly, this sweater was started a year ago. In fact, it is the first sweater I ever started. Five sweaters later, I finally finished it. Secondly, this is another "I like it, but I won't wear it." Which is fine. I really just wanted this done and out of my UFO hat box. Plus, Wendy will stop giving me a hard time about it now :).

I dubbed last week the week of finishing, and now I have the fruits of my labor. I didn't get a chance to photograph everything on forms so more pictures are forthcoming. I do however have a shot of the finished Noro wrist warmers):

There's nothing very special about these wrist warmers, except that they don't match, but since they are for my mom while she is typing at home they just need to be functional.

She has long hands and fingers like I do so hopefully they'll fit. Even if they don't it'll be a quick fix. I got both of these from the one leftover ball from my Clapotis. I love using up extra skeins particularly when I love the yarn so much. Speaking of, have we all seen the new Silk Garden lite? It's DK weight and its really just a matter of time before you see a purchase here. It'll probably be green or blue too.

Nicole and I got together this weekend for a last push to finish a couple of projects. Check out her finished Vest Everest. It's very awesome.

I have to say getting all of that done and out of the way of new projects is great but a little...I don't know what the word is. Disconcerting? I feel like I need to get a few more projects on the needles since I am far from a monogamous knitter. New projects does mean that now I can tear into my stash, a good thing since I haven't stopped buy yarn and it's gotten even bigger.

Hope your week's off to a good start!

I was good...and then bad.

2006-02-24T00:41:00.000-08:00

Stitches West was last weekend in Santa Clara. Wendy and I went. She was teaching and I was along for the ride. I don't know if there was actually less to see this year or if it was just my second year and all the glitz has worn off for me, but after 25 min I was pretty much done.

Here's my illegal shot of a tiny little corner of the huge space. Try not to steal any of the fuzy, dark pattern ideas :)

I went with the intention, not of buying yarn or patterns as I have plenty of both, but to try to find a knitting bag. My favorite purse is big enough to hold a small project in a plastic bag with all of the rest of the garbage I persist in carrying, but I am enough of a knitter now that I should have a bag devoted to it (I have a whole section of my studio apartment dedicated so this shouldn't have been a stretch for me).

As I was wandering I came across dozens of knitting bags. Most of them reminded me of carpet bags. Which are cute, but not at all my style. Beyond that I saw there were silk della Q bags. Lovely, but again not my style. Then I happened upon the Jordana Paige booth. And met Jordana, who is lovely by the way. These were much more my style. Mostly because they look nothing like knitting bags. Maybe it's just that I'm picky, but the color choices not the styles were what threw me off.

It was either this pink hounds tooth side bag:

or the purse in muted tones:

I loved the idea of a brown, but in person this brown is very flat. Maybe it was the fluorescents. Maybe I'm too just picky. Or maybe it's just that its a $90 investment and I want it to be a good one. Better to wait it out. So, I was good at stitches.

Oh, but then. then. You remember how I promised I wouldn't buy anymore yarn? And that I wouldn't buy it off eBay. And that it would definitely absolutely not be blue or green...

It's Rowan Calmer in color 480 Peacock. I couldn't help it! 10 balls including shipping for $75. What would you have done? Well, you may have sensibly looked at yourself (?..) and said "Self, you already have at least five sweaters worth of blue or green yarn and you've already knit two sweaters in green. You don't need more yarn, let alone blue/green yarn."

I did in fact say this to myself but the call of the deal. It is alluring. So, I put in my maximum bid. 63.01 (without the $12 shipping) and wouldn't you know I got it. Clearly the Gods like me in blue/green and want all my friends in the same colors. But now that I have it I will absolutely not start this until I've finished the finishing pile. We'll see how long that lasts.

Some new shots of some old stuff

2006-02-18T02:03:00.000-08:00

I finally took a few of my old projects into school because I wanted to photograph them on an actual dressform rather than just on my bed. And I have to say, seeing them on a form really makes me like all of them more. Sigh. I guess even in knitting I still visualize the clothes on the mannequin and not on myself. Fortunately, I now have dressforms at my disposal. Without further ado, and for the second time around...

My Minisweater from Glampyre.com.

Loosely based Rebecca "Cropped" sweater

Lelah from Craftster.org

Circular Shrug from Craftster.org

Admittedly, the photos aren't great. The sink in the background is all class. But the form does what it supposed to. It's best for the Circular Shrug I think since its hard to visualize the collar and body shape without the form. Though now that I look at it its not centered on the mannequin but there you are.

I've decided this is the week of finishing. As in all those things in my side bar that say "need seaming" and those wrist warmers I don't care about. All these things must get finished. They're holding me back in getting started on all the other projects in the side bar. Plus, my hat box with my UFOs wont close anymore. I'm off to knit a neck band... Have a great weekend!

So close...and yet

2006-02-14T23:19:00.000-08:00

Have you seen Nanny Mcphee? It's great. It's an awesome kids film. One I think parents might enjoy too. Well, maybe not enjoy, but definitely tolerate. It is pretty sweet but then I'd watch Emma Thompson read the Patriot Act so I'm a little biased. And Mr. Darcy. How could I forget him. And yes I know that isn't Colin Firth's real name and it's not even his name in this movie. But I'm afraid he will always be Mark Darcy to me. I just love happy movies with a little obvious romance tossed in. Predictability only puts me off in movies that are supposed to be suspenseful....Oh knitting. Right. You'd be here for knitting not movie reviews....well I have some right here as a matter of fact:

The pieces of my Apricot are complete. Unfortunately, I've never seamed a set in sleeve. So, I've got my trusty Vogue Knitting and I'm trying to work it out. For some reason though I just can't get it to look right. I've gotten to the point with this sweater where I'm so frustrated I'm just going to put it down for a day or two and then try again. If I can't get it to work I'm going to hit up Wendy for a little help. She's my (and quite a few other people's) knitting doctor.

In reality, (read not my head) this pattern is pretty easy once you get past what I like to call the Rebeccaness of it. Some of the instructions are not very clear and I had to go on a bit of intuition with it. It turns out my intuition is as dyslexic as the rest of me and I did it backwards. Remember when looking at a chart that you are knitting from right to left and should read the chart accordingly. In the end I've knit almost this entire sweater twice. I still want to finish it though which lets me know just how much I like it. I feel like it's one I'll actually wear so all the frustration is worth it.

Here are the buttons I found for it. I think they're a pretty good match.

Sorry for the fuzzy pic. I'm never going to be a photographer.

In other knitting news my Orangina is coming along. I've also just started the Simple Wrap from Debbie Bliss Alpaca Two because of course almost finishing a project is grounds for starting another.

I've also sent the hats off to their new owners. I think they're pretty happy with them. It's always nice to give gifts that are appreciated. I hope you all had a great Valentine's Day. It's a holiday I usually hate not because I'm bitter, which I am, but because it seems too commercial, too much pressure, too many expectations. But I actually had a fabulous non-v-day related evening with one of my oldest friends. Yep, my best Valentine's dayin a really long time. Hope yours was excellent.

I have a problem.

2006-02-08T00:09:00.000-08:00

I swore I wouldn't. I really planned on sticking to my plan. Three finished projects and then I could buy yarn. Seems easy right? I've got Clapotis down. I'm so close on my Apricot Sweater. I'm getting along with my Orangina. But something got me last Friday. I couldn't help it. I'm an addict and eBay is an enabler. I bought yarn and a new pattern book.

Here's my list of excuses. First, I bought them from a British store which you would think with the exchange rate would be more expensive but no. I got the Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk 2 book and 9 balls of DB Alpaca Silk Dk including shipping from across the pond for about $60. So it was a deal. Second,... well it was really the deal that made me do it. But it is official that I'm not allowed back on eBay until I've gotten through this new purchase.

The real problem with this purchase isn't actually the time frame, since I really am very close to done and the shipping was much faster than expected. Its that I yet again bought blue/green or green/blue, depending on how you look at it, yarn. I was in that manic "it's a great deal and I love that color" swirl of an expiring Buy It Now phenom. But if I were to magically knit up all the projects in my stash I would have at least five new blue or green sweaters. Then again, you should knit what you love, right?

Movies, starting again and almost there.

2006-02-06T00:43:00.000-08:00

I saw an amazing movie series this week. La Meglio Gioventu (The Best of Youth). Its an Italian film (I've heard it was a mini-series, but I don't know if that's true) about a family, specifically these two brothers. It follows them through about forty years of their lives and is just beautiful. It also deals with social/political issues in the time of the story. If you enjoy classic Italian break your heart and make you laugh films, and you can commit to two 3hr films, it really is worth it.

On to knitting news:

I started on my Orangina again. Here's a shot of the very beginning.

I'm hoping the second time is the charm. I don't have any pictures of the last one but I was knitting the medium. It turns out that the sizing as you go up is a bit off. The gauge is 6st/in and you're supposed to cast on 121st for the medium. But 121/6 is about 20. Giving you a 40inch bust + or - the seaming. Basically, it was really too big on me. But the small really does (at least in the math) give you a 36 inch bust. And I'm right there at 38". Solution? I'm knitting the front half in medium and the back half in small. I know this may give me some issues in the ribbing and the armholes, but I'm prepared for that.

As for my Apricot Sweater, I'm still working on it. I have one sleeve and possibly re-knitting the back to go. I'm still debating about re-knitting the back. Its a lot of work and I'm not sure it will actually bother me. I guess I'll decided when I finish the rest of it. And since I've gotten this far without posting pics of it...I'm going to hold off posting until its finished. Plus, this week I'm going to try to remember to take some of my sweaters into school so I can photograph them on a dressform.

Finally, the verdict is back on the hats I have to finish too. Turns out my friends head is bigger than his roommates so I'm glad I stopped knitting them! Re-knitting is never pleasant. So, if all goes according to plan I'll have a bunch FO for you in my next post! It may be a few days, but its a goal.

Hmmm, posting too often...

2006-02-01T00:08:00.000-08:00

I've been diligently working on my hats trying to churn them out as quickly as possible. Then I saw one of the guys tonight and had him try one on. It fit perfectly, but he swears up and down his head is bigger than all three of his roommates. I told him I found that hard to believe. He said it wasn't hard at all. Then we both burst out laughing cause we both have filthy minds.

The upshot of all this is I gave him one and told him to have all the others try it on and let me know. So, in the meantime I've been working on the Apricot Sweater a bit and trying different things for my left over ball of Silk Garden from Clapotis. I finally settled on wrist warmers.

They're totally basic just a plain ribbed tube with a smaller tube for the thumb. I think they will work well. Actually, I think they will go to my mother along with Clapotis. She was complaining earlier about how cold her hands get at the computer. Plus, they match and I like that. I swear I'll have pics of Apricot next time.

A quick post: straight men with boring taste, fuel injectors and teddy bears

2006-01-31T00:52:00.000-08:00

I've been knitting on my Apricot Sweater (no pics yet) and it was going along gangbusters. I'm already through the back and a sleeve. However, I've just realized the back isn't quite right. I skipped one of the repeats. I skipped it every time it came up so you can't really see it. But I'm afraid that in comparison to the rest of the sweater I will always be able to see it. And well, its worth it to rip out the back and do it right. I have to tell myself this to get myself to do it.

In the mean time, I've been working on a few hats. The hats are those gifts I mentioned in my stash post. I asked the guys what they wanted so I've been knitting 2x2 ribs for hours. Two black, one of them with a thin white strip "to break it up." Then, red, blue and green all the same. Sigh. I'm half way through it and I know I'll be happy when I'm done. I do like to give people gifts they will use and really enjoy and hats in chunky yarn do go quickly so I'll stop whining. Plus, this gives me something to do while it pours outside and the mechanic figures out what is wrong with my car. That's a whole other story and not a good one.

So, I leave you with a cutesy picture. I live in an apartment that doesn't allow pets and since gratuitous shots of one's fourlegged loved ones seems to be encouraged I'm putting a hat on my teddy bear and showing it to you cause I think it's pretty cute.

I don't even know what "meme" stands for

2006-01-27T17:25:00.000-08:00

So, Nicole over at Big Sister tagged me for a meme and I'm all excited. I know for those of you who have had blogs for a while this probably has gotten old. But for those of us newbies it's still fun. At least it is for me. These are the four gals it's gone through before me.

Emy's blah blah blah blog
Purls Beyond Price, KimberliNY
Unraveling, Cordeliaknits
Big Sister
The Hot Brunette

What were you doing 10 years ago?

In January of 1996, I was a freshman in high school. My first school with gasp!...boys.

What were you doing 5 years ago? (I added this one cause it's when my life got mildly interesting)

In January of 2001, I was a sophomore in college and living in Eugene, OR. I was living with my then best friend and a couple of other people. The rent on my room was $285.00 (less than my brothers parking place in downtown SF). I was falling in love for the first time with a guy who would turn out not to be worth it. But it was probably the happiest time in my life thus far. See, that's why I had to share :)

What were you doing 1 year ago?

In January of 2005, I was moving out of a terrible living situation I had created with the help of Craigslist.org into what would turn out to be a worse one( I live alone now :). I had been working at a yarn store for about three months and had already realized I didn't want to stay there much longer. I was missing London and trying to figure out what to do next. I was also planning on applying to the design school I'm in now.

What were you doing 1 hour ago?

Trying to finish this damn ruched pinstripped skirt.

List five creative things you want to achieve this year:

Graduate from design school
Design my own knitting pattern....and write it out so that someone else could knit it too.
Read the fifty books sitting next to my bed
Take up West Coast Swing again
Perfect the designs for my shoe line.... Oooh, maybe even get production going. I just got all tingly.

List five snacks you enjoy:

Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate
Toasted sourdough bread with cheddar cheese
Gummy Bears
Swedish Fish

um, I like sweets.

List five things you would do if money were no object:

Buy a house in San Francisco, New York and Lake Como
Start my own line (once I graduate!)
Go to racing school
Buy a movie theater and charge $1.50 admission for everyone
Subsidize a tax benefit for the oil companies that start changing their production over to sustainable and earth friendly energy resources.

List five bad habits:

Eating without thinking
Looking obsessively at online yarn stores and blogs
Yelling at other drivers while in my car...my friends tell me this is pretty amusing.
Being generally messy
My celebrity obsession (fortunately this is dying out)

List five things you like doing:

Knitting (try to contain your shock)
Dancing
Chatting/ bitching with my girlfriends
Sleeping
Shopping

List five favorite gadgets:

My iPod
My Sewing machine
My powerbook
My bitchin' iron
My cellphone

Name one thing you like about yourself:

My sense of humor and my ability to parallel park with one hand while on my cell phone. I know that's two but the second is just so good.

I haven't been at this game very long so I don't know who's already been tagged and who hasn't. So, I'm going to try an experiment. I'm going to tag people tomorrow. If you haven't been tagged yet, and want to be, leave me a comment. But since I think most people will feel weird about that I'll have to do a little investigating. Still, if you want to be tagged speak up!

In current knitting news I've started my Apricot Sweater. Actually, I've finished the back. So far it's a great knit. Oh and I figured out what to do with my leftovers from Clapotis. Oh, wouldn't you like to know. :) Pictures this weekend!

Clapotis est fini!

2006-01-24T00:33:00.000-08:00

Finally, it's done. And there's a new dent in my stash. This of course makes me want to fill this new hole in my storage system, but no. I will not indulge myself. I have to finish two more substantial projects (hats and fingerless gloves don't count) before I can buy new yarn. Lord knows I have enough projects lined up.

Overall this was a pleasant knit. Nothing challenging and perfect for a stash buster. Plus, I think my mom is really going to love it. I think I may give it to her as just a random gift since her birthday isn't until June.

Pattern: Clapotis from Knitty.com
Yarn: five or six ball of Noro Silk Garden
Color: #203
Needles: Addi turbos size 8
Size: One size
Changes: No changes save for a few mistakes.

So, now I have to figure what's next. The Katrina Rib I'm finding really uninspiring right now. I think that may be headed for the frog pile. I'm starting my Somewhat Cowl again too. I didn't keep track of where I left off in the pattern and I'm pretty much crap at back tracking. Am I the only one who writes out a sheet of paper to keep track of the row I'm on? I have one very experienced friend who laughs when I do this, but she knows how scattered I am and how often I leave a knit untouched for weeks so she forgives this seemingly anal habit. This of course means that I will randomly find binder paper with numbers and slashes on it. Actually, it's usually a non-knitting friend of mine who thinks I'm developing schizophrenia. They turn to me with concern and tell me I need to get out more. But I digress.

Next maybe the Apricot Jacket or the Ultra Femme. Or I may take that KSH in that vibrant pink and make a lace wrap. Though I don't know if I have the patience. Hopefully I'll have some thing to show you in my next post!

A post for the knitting lacuna

2006-01-21T13:18:00.000-08:00

I have a word of the day calendar.

Not much knitting going on in my part of the city. I'd post a picture of the "progress" on Clapotis, but it looks exactly the same with a few more dropped stitch rows. I hope I'll have it finished by the end of the weekend. Yes, in fact that's now my weekend goal. Another goal I have is to stop looking for new projects like these:

You've seen my stash and some of the things I intend to do with it, so you know I have no business looking for new ways to spend money on yarn and waist time on the internet.

I have to share another time waster...I found out some stuff about an ex of mine...nevermind how I did. But I can't stop playing the "what if" game. Fortunately, the what if in this situation makes me shudder. But it does make me think about how often we make decisions that have repercussions for years in our lives. Our own butterfly effects. One of my favorite concepts. Not because I'm an anarchist but because it seems to be the basis for nature. Small changes with big repercussions. Ok, if I'm coming up with this on my knitting blog I'm definitely rambling. Oy! More knitting later.

What's this? Some call it progress. Others, procrastination.

2006-01-11T12:21:00.000-08:00

I am supposed to be sewing. Really, I need to be sewing. I have a few projects due in class on Thursday but I just can't get back into the swing of things. Ah, well. It means tomorrow will be crazy. Thank god for knitting though because I have something to show after watching copious amounts of reality TV.

So can you guess what this enormous swatch is?

Yep. I'm making a Clapotis. I know this is uninteresting to read about since the four people who read this blog have actually already knit it or didn't knit it because it was a little below their skills. But I'm giving it a go. Unfortunately, at some point I fell out of love with the colors in this Silk Garden. It could be, as Nicole pointed out to me, that I like greens and blues and perhaps I have burnt out on them for a bit.

I think my mom will like it or I can find some one else to give it to. Then again I may hide it in my closet, find it three months from now and love it all over again. I do like the pattern. Very simple and straight forward. I love patterns where you get into the groove of them and no longer have to refer back. I think I would find this is a more common occurrence if I would finish projects within a month of starting them.

The second, more circular, swatch in that picture is the start to my Katrina Rib in Merino style "Moss."

I'm enjoying this pattern and the yarn is very nice. I guess I'm just in a blah mood about most of my projects. My Somewhat Cowl is about two inches along and I can't seem to make myself work on it. I can't even blame this funk thing on the weather as it's been pretty beautiful here, especially for January. Is there an "eh" knitting bug going around?

New Years

2006-01-04T00:48:00.000-08:00

It seems to be a New Years resolution thing. Everyone seems to be checking out their stash and owning up. So, here's mine... well at least most of it. A few stray balls aside this really is it.

A lot of this has a designated purpose. Which I will now enumerate.

This GGH Java is earmarked for the Apricot Sweater from Rebecca 27. I know I bought the Rowan All Seasons Cotton in that bright blue for that sweater but I recently frogged a GGH Soft Kid minisweater in an almost identical blue. So, now the Soft Kid and the ASC are going to eventually become an Ultra-Femme from Stitch and Bitch Nation.

Moving on to all those skeins of Sierra and Baby Alpaca Grande. All of which will eventually become some version of the same ribbed beanie. They are pretty much all for a very good friend of mine and his roommates. A late-ish thank you for cooking me dinner a lot last fall.

The Cashmere is for Wendy's (Knit and Tonic) Somewhat Cowl. I've swatched it and have finally cast-on. I'll post some picture of the progress in a few weeks (its on size 5 needles and, like I said, I'm lazy).

The Merino Style is for The Katrina Rib. Though I bought more than is required mainly because I'm going to change it a bit (longer sleeves).

The Rowan Kid Silk Haze was supposed to be for the butterfly tank from the most recent (at least I think it is) Rowan magazine. But it has recently occurred to me that I keep making things I will never wear. I don't know why I persist in this but I keep having to remind myself of my need for useful knits. So this will most likely be saved for some other project. Any ideas?

I have about 8 balls of Silk Garden that was originally supposed to turn into some pillows for my bed. However, I got a new bedspread in a totally different colorway a couple months ago so I think this may be turned into a shawl or super-long scarf for my mom.

The final project I have is one that scares me a little. The Madil full is for my own pattern. Now I've futzed with a lot of patterns and gripped about poor editors and insane directions, but to jump the line to the side that gets all the criticism that freaks me out. I'll let you know if it ever happens.

Those are the major projects. I have a boat load of Aurora 8 and a bunch of the Majestic. I think I'm going to make Belle Epoque from Knitty with the Majestic. We'll see what the Aurora 8 turns into, maybe an Essential Stripe without the stripe.

At any rate, I hope you all had a very happy New Years and that this new year bring you lots of joy and yarn!

2005-12-29T23:45:00.000-08:00

I've realized that this blog is giving the wrong impression about how I knit (the month long hiatus aside). Since I've been knitting for about a year and a half and have only had a blog for a month or two I have managed to give the impression that I am a relatively quick knitter. It's not true. In any way. Take for example this sweater.

Pattern: Loosely based on the Cropped Striped Sweater from Rebecca 29
Yarn: um...8 balls of GGH Bali
Color: #73 Brown and #70 Turquoise
Needles: Addi turbos size 6
Size: 38 inch bust
Changes: Lots of them. In fact the only thing that is the same is that it is off the shoulders.

I just finished seaming it last night. I started it about 8 months ago. But if I didn't tell you that it might look like I've knit more than one sweater in the last month. But I haven't. In actuality I am a pretty slow knitter. I often fall in and out of the knitting feeling. I get scattered and lazy. To lazy to knit? You betcha. I'm generally too lazy to change the channel on my TV (I broke the remote ages ago).

This should explain the next sweater. Glampyre.com's Angelica which has remained in this almost finished state since before Christmas.

Pattern: Angelica from Glampyre.com
Yarn: Knitpicks Andean Silk
Color: Sangria
Needles: Addi turbos size 7
Size: 36 inch bust
Changes: Quite a few. I moved the darts from the front to the sides. I'm not that fond of drawing attention to my mid-section. The same reasoning went into dropping the double ribbing around the middle. Since those changes stripped a whole lot of interest I added the extra ribbing around the sleeve (soon to be sleeves).

I decided to post this sweater before it was completely done because, now that I've worked it this far, I've decided I don't like it all that much. Unfortunately, that generally means it will stay in this state for quite a while before it gets frogged or finished and passed on to a friend or Goodwill.

So, I am hoping to come out of my last week and a half of knitting lazyitis. I think after New Years I'll be back. I think the Sunday hangover may just make it happen.

Knitting and cloying TV

2005-12-07T00:34:00.000-08:00

So I've been wanting to post and meaning to post, but I can't find the cord to connect my camera to my computer. So I'm posting anyway and I'll update this with pictures later.

This weekend was very productive in terms of knitting and nothing else. It happens that there was an America's Next Top Model marathon on either Saturday or Sunday. I can't remember because it stole at least 7 hours of my life. I was feeling a little ill and it gave me an excuse to sit under a blanket and knit all day. I love that show. I can't help it. It appeals to all my base desires. Thank god I went to a Yoga class that day as well or I would have felt completely worthless. Worthless is the wrong word...overindulged. But it was lovely. And I promise to show you the fruits of my labor as soon as I get that cord (tomorrow hopefully).

Some old (finally finished) business

2005-11-30T00:16:00.001-08:00

So I haven't been knitting anything I have posted about. With the Holiday I think I just got lazy with everything. But I did finish-up some of the projects I had lying around. One is a One Skein Wonder:

Pattern: One Skein Wonder
Yarn: 3 Balls Aurora 8
Color: 137 Blue Heather
Needles: Addi turbos size 7
Size: 19 inch shoulders
Changes: I swapped the ribbing around the body for more seed stitch. Ribbing that boarded is meant to pull in a bit so I picked up a few less stitches to off set that.

The second is the Minisweater from Glampyre.

Pattern: Minisweater
Yarn: 4 Balls Debbie Bliss Cotton Angora
Color: Dark Teal 07
Needles: Addi turbos size 9
Size: Large
Changes: It's a really fast pattern that I adjusted only slightly. The pattern calls for puffy sleeves which I omitted and it's supposed to be a bit shorter. Plus, I have it overlapping in the front where the button is. That was one of those happy mistakes I really like.

I love this yarn but I would say if I were to knit this again I would use a pure wool. The drape of this yarn is lovely, but it doesn't hold the shape of the sweater well. In fact I'll probably frog it for something else later on. But it was a good pattern to try.

The color on these two isn't nearly as close as these pictures make it seem. Though I do love tealy-blues. Part of it is the lighting and part of it is my new bedspead I can't help but talk about. I love it! It's the biggest splurge I've made in my new apartment. Thank God it was on sale. It actually makes me excited to make my bed!

Test thingys

2005-11-21T02:05:00.000-08:00

Your Birthdate: September 15

You take life as it is, and you find happiness in a variety of things.
You tend to be close to family and friends. But it's hard to get into your inner circle.
Making the little things wonderful is important to you, and you probably have an inviting home.
You seek harmony with others, but occasionally you have a very stubborn streak.

Your strength: Your intense optimism

Your weakness: You shy away from exploring your talents

Your power color: Jade

Your power symbol: Flower

Your power month: June

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

So while dealing with my insomnia I came across this website with all of these little quiz style things. This one is fairly accurate with one huge exception. In the years that have been trying for me June has been consistently the worst month. In fact all of the drama in my life that remains significant years after the fact occurred in June. Then again "power" isn't really a good or a bad thing. I guess it's how you see it. June has generated several exceptional decisions in my life. Ok, I'll go with it.

Oh, and since I'm still not tired:

Your Heart Is Pink

In relationships, you like to play innocent - even though you aren't.
Each time you fall in love, it's like falling for the first time.

Your flirting style: Coy

Your lucky first date: Picnic in the park

Your dream lover: Is both caring and dominant

What you bring to relationships: Romance

What Color Heart Do You Have?

I don't know about coy, but the rest of it is pretty true. If you're reading this and you have some time go to Blogthings That is if you like little quizzes. None of them are very long and there are some fun ones.

OK, now I'm off to attempt sleep!

A Finished Object!....well kind of.

2005-11-19T18:13:00.000-08:00

Pattern: Lelah by HelenaJane
Yarn: 8 balls Lanna Grossa New Cotton
Needles: Addi turbos size 8
Size: This pattern doesn't have sizes, and I'm not the best about keeping track, but it's a large.
So this is my Lelah from Crafster.org. I really enjoyed knitting the pattern. I'm not sure I see myself wearing this but you never know. I am definately going to be undoing the top and knitting some straps. I think I might also do some more ribbon embelishment and maybe a black underlay. We'll see how it all turns out.

Here's a close up of the "lace" work. I use the quotes not to diminish the pattern, but because I can't get used to the idea that I could claim to have knit something with lace work however easy they claim it is.

I'm still working on my Sweater with a wide collar. It's getting a little tedious though. I love the look of ribbing, but can't handle the endless back and forth of k2p2. Sigh, only 8 more inches on size 5s.

Oh but I did get two ebay purchases today. One is Rowan 36

and the other is 10 balls of Rowan All Seasons Cotton to make the ubiqitous Apricot Sweater from Rebecca 27

It does seem likely that I will be starting yet another project. Oh and I have a few quick hats to knit too. Famous last words...well maybe not famous :)

I call it a sleeve

2005-11-13T13:33:00.000-08:00

I finally finished one sleeve on my Sweater with a Wide Collar. It's a little hard to make out since it's a dark navy color. I love navy mainly because it turns my pasty white skin a little bit creamy white (this is what I'm telling myself).

I knit the ribbing on it flat and then connected it in the round when I got to the stockinet portion. I don't know what it is about tons of purls, but the thought of it just puts me off. I've heard a few people say they enjoy purling more than knitting. I smiled politely at this one particular woman and backed away before I berated her.

One of my friends recently discussed her dislike of endless rows of purls and since she's the one who taught me how to knit I blame her for the predicament. I do just about everything I can in the round now. In fact I've started on the body of the sweater and am doing it in the round. Not because of the purling (its a rib stitch no way around purling) but because I also hate seaming. Particularly on dark mohair knit on size 5 needles. This probably makes me a lazy knitter, but then again could a knitter really be that lazy?

Circular Shrug's Finished!

2005-11-08T19:15:00.000-08:00

So here it is. All Finished. And I think I might like it. This would be a first since I seem to make things that look good in magazines and are fun to knit but end-up looking funny on me. This one may work though.

Here are the stats:
Pattern: Circular Shrug by Assorted Artists at Craftster.org
Yarn: 8 balls Karabella Aurora 8
Needles: Addi turbos size 7
Size: This pattern doesn't really have sizes, but I have 19" shoulders so I'd have to say it was a L/XL.

I've just started this pattern in a cream colored Eco wool. That and I've started the Sweater with a Wide Collar from Rebecca 29. I'm knitting it in Navy Soft Kid. I'll post pictures when I have more than half of a sleeve. Now it's off to trivia night. I may post musings later on after drinking and well, more drinking.

My first post- the ego explanation

2005-11-04T00:24:00.000-08:00

First, I feel the need to explain my egotistical blog name. One day I was feeling very down about a boy and I was complaining to a sweet guy friend of mine. Finally, tired of my self pity and whining (more the whining) he told me I was a hot brunette who should drop this guy and try having fun for a change. Then we made-out. But you know, that's what being 19 is about.

So now at the ripe old age of 24 when I get really down about men or weight or anything I just remember this sweet guy saying that to me. After a while you begin to believe it. Basically, this is a reminder to stay on the positive side of things. Why I put it on a knitting blog is beyond me. But this, you will find if you continue to read this, is very like my scattered mind.

Since this is a knitting blog I should share some knitting style stuff. Right now I have about four sweaters to seam; two Rebecca patterns, a Ribi Cardi form ChicKnits and the minisweater from glampyre.com. I find that I knit a lot but seem to avoid finishing much...this is perhaps too much to say about myself in the first post. But hey I want you to know or I wouldn't say it, right?

I also just started the Circular Shrug off of Craftster.org. Here is a pic of the progress I have on that.

2005-11-01T22:03:00.000-08:00

I'm Rachel. Welcome to my knitting blog.