hat-o-rama part two

i can now reveal the hats in their full glory with details, as the blue one has been gifted away to the rightful (blog reading) owner.

this will also give you some idea why i am tired of making hats right now. we can bring our count up to four for the month of october with these two darlings.

a sicko part of me wants to stay up tonight and finish number 5 so i can set some sort of silly personal goal. i'm not going to--too much other art must be finished before tomorrow evening.

the details....

Birthday Blues Hat
designed by kittything
pattern available soon (i hope.)

knit in Frog Tree Merino (1 skein #910, 1 skein #916, 100% merino wool) purchased at K+S=B on size US 7 Plymouth bamboo needles.

started: october 27, 2007
finished: october 29, 2007

i knit this for someone who is officially going to be old on saturday. (i am allowed to say it because he said it first. ha. and, you know.... my time will come soon enough.) that along with the color gave the design its name. but how can you be sad when you have such a delightful hat?!

when i wanted to start this project, i was a little annoyed. i bought the yarn because i fell in love with the dark blue and i had to knit something from it. i don't really wear blue. perfect for something one is to gift. okay... now tell me when it became a law of knitting that all men's hat patterns must be knit in chunky yarn?

i searched high and low, and finally in disgust i made my own pattern. remember how i questioned why anyone would ever knit a hat flat instead of in the round? yeah, well i knit it flat.

two reasons. 1. i would rather sew a seam than do fancy pants stuff to eliminate the "jog" in the color of the stripes. 2. my circular US7 was too big (24") and my double points were too small (5"). it was an hour of night well after any sort of purveyor of knitting needles would be open, so i bit the bullet and knit flat. i think it turned out pretty darn well.

ps- i am in love with my decreases.


on to friend number 2....

Tasteful Sports Themed Beanie
designed by kittything

crocheted in Frog Tree Merino (1 skein #905, 1 skein... um... brown, 100% merino wool) purchased at K+S=B on size "J" palm wood crochet hook.

started: october 11, 2007
finished: october 14, 2007

first, i apologize for the Freaky Anime Eyes picture. i have freaky eyes, and i try to minimize their strangeness in photos, but after taking 10 pictures of myself in this hat, i gave up. but this is an excellent illustration of why my ID says i have grey eyes and not blue. i don't like to fight at the DMV.

this is a husband-of-a-friend (he is also my friend) holiday gift. he likes sports. i like things that are tasteful, hence the tasteful sports themed hat. no loud and garish stadium colors here, folks! class and sophistication all the way, baby!

as you can see from the fact that i have now made three hats in the Frog Tree Merino.... i think it is spectacular! everyone should rush out and get some right now. i. love. it.

it is great for both knitting and crochet. it is soft, but it doesn't get too fuzzy. zero itch here, people. i also hear a nasty rumour that it felts well. i would never do such a thing to this lovely yarn, but i thought i should put it out there. oh, yeah... and have i mentioned that the colors rock?

alright, one more hat and then the holiday hat season will be done. i tend to make hats when i am home with my folks during the holidays--not this year. this year i think i will be back on my socks!

sigh

and people wonder why i am so over halloween costumes. deep down, i love them, i really do. at least i want to. and then there is crap like this.

the quote that got me....

But Gabby did like the Aqua Fairy, a vampy get-up with a black ripped-up skirt, black fishnet tights and blue bustier that comes in medium, large and preteen. A medium fits a child of 8.

plus, costumes are my job the other 364 days out of the year, you know.

mail call!

yesterday i was dashing out the door when i was stopped in my tracks--my Fall Into Autumn package arrived! i didn't have a set in stone schedule, so i opened it up on the spot. wow, talk about goodies.
my spoiler spoiled me a lot.

as you see from the picture....

• 5 (yes, 5!) dishcloths. including two diagonal garter stitch, and two picture ones (a bug and a bat) as well as a round one. i love round cloths! yay!
• a pattern book
• sock shaped point protectors. cutest thing in the world. we all know how i feel about socks.
• handmade vanilla oatmeal soap that smells amazing.
  
• size 7 bamboo needles (i have been using my 7 a lot lately. now i have bamboo and not just aluminium)
• a halloween kitty with googley eyes that came in her own halloween bag.
• pumpkin stationary.
• a batty halloween bracelet
• halloween buttons
• a skein of black Cotton Ease, which i have never tried but have been wanting to.
• and a pretty Monet print card.
  

the whole thing came packaged up dappled in halloween confetti. i point this out because this is the first time i ever successfully opened a package with confetti and didn't have it go all over the place. this is very good because i get cards from Certain Nameless Friends that contain confetti and i get fooled every time. confetti everywhere. i still find little teal sparkle dots from a birthday card i opened two years ago..... in a different apartment.

i'm not sure how that is possible.

thank you Donna! i love my package. i now have to chuckle because you said you were worried you couldn't surprise the yarn store gal. you did more than an admirable job. i love it. i hope your spoiler was as sweet to you as you were to me!

now i need to cool down my use of exclamation points a bit.

treat

i've been pretty busy, so real knitting content has suffered. i can throw you a bone, however! quick little update.

i have a mystery project shaping up nicely in Manos del Uruguay. the colorway is called "Bramble". i am about 45-50% done with the knitting portion of this one.

the second project that is coming off the sticks tonight is yet another hat. i say "yet another", but you have only seen two i made. i have one more finished and two at various stages of completion. must. finish. gifts.

i'm going to be so over hats by december. then it will be time to knit a sweater for myself!

we all need a little support

thank you to all the concerned citizens of the Fall Into Autumn Swap. my pal's address was rescued from the abyss.

and another form of support....

Frederick's of Hollywood and Clothes Off Our Back just had the 4th Annual Lingerie Art Auction. there is an auction of celebrity designed corsets for charity pruposes. check them out here.

they are pretty cool.... for the most part. and some were designed by men. now, i was suspicious that these were (as most this "star" designed) not at all designed by the people who sponsored them. but some make a lot of sense with the celebrity. and then there are one's like what Jeremy Piven and Debra Messing designed.... not only do they look like the stars designed them--they look like they made them too. Jeremy Piven clearly loves a Beadazzler.

no really, go look. Bradly Whitford will surprise you.

day three

i have been trying for three days to retrieve my swap pal's lost email address. the hostesses are not getting back to me. this is very frustrating. technical difficulties stink.

i think i am going to have to reveal myself to my pal to ask for the address directly. i really didn't want to ruin the fun.

on a different note.... raw meat should never be a prop an art director can select for a knitted project photo shoot.

sad panda

i am a sad panda for two reasons.

1. the Fall Into Autumn Swap is about to end. i guess that isn't too sad because my package from my swap pal will show up any second, but still.... no more topics. no more covert blog messages. ah, well. fun while it lasts.

2. i am thisclose to failing at my swap. you see, my email seems to have had a meltdown and eaten two weeks worth of mail. this mail includes my hostess with her email address. my swap pal's email address and mailing address. and all other information related to retrieving said items. ugh!

i mean, i don't even have an email address to send a message to my pal and say "this is who i am. sorry i ruined the anonymity of our swap, but can you send me your address so i can send you a package?" boo. it isn't like i can leave that message in her blog comments and expect a reply!

and with that venting of frustration.... our last Topic of the Week...

How was your experience in the exchange? Did you enjoy the folks you met? Did you just love the cloth and goodies you received? Please share any thoughts, criticism, and things you loved!

i have had a good time. until now when i have messed myself up.

my swap pal is great. always staying in touch and leaving me fun comments. i also feel lucky to have been given someone to spoil me that one day i may be able to thank in person! i was so excited that she came to my LYS (even if i wasn't working that day). there is a coffee shop in the same building it, so next time she hits our nation's capital hopefully we can have a coffee and pet the pretty yarn together.

related to that, i am glad that the hostesses didn't try to match people up based on age or interests (other than needlework!) because i like meeting different sorts of people. i do that a lot in both of my jobs, and i enjoy it. i think you miss out on different points of view if you don't have friends of all ages and with differing interests.

as for the pal i am spoiling... we have not communicated much. i write her blog comments every week (she posts about once per week) but i have not heard anything back since the first week. that's fine. i think she is really busy from the sound of her posts, and she has other swaps going. i just hope she likes the things i picked for her! i went all autumn colors, so we shall see!

[somone is getting crazy with the exclamation points today. time to wrap up.]

my package has not arrived yet, so i will do a follow up on its awesomeness (which is almost assured) once i have it here.

lovely little needle knits

as much as i like a quick project, i do love some sock-weight yarn. it makes a lovely fabric, and i seem to prefer my hand painted yarn in light weights. having ends of skeins hanging about after knitting socks, i wanted a project i could use these small yarn quantities to complete.

ta-da.
mini socks--dollar included in photo for scale. not entirely practical, but very cute. as set models and kittens prove--everything is cute when small. (well, not everything. teacup poodles. not so much.) in the future i hope to knit one of these after i finish each pair of socks. they are fun, fast, and a great way to hang on to a bit of wonderful sock yarn without simply leaving a scrap in the stash bin. these little darlings will probably also end up on my holiday tree.

in addition to tiny socks, i recently knit another small project out of koigu.

Heart Sachet
designed by Vicki Sever
published by Interweave Press
available for free on Knitting Daily

knit in Koigu Painter's Palette Premium Merino (1 skein, 100% hand painted merino wool) purchased at Knit+Stitch=Bliss on size US 2 Brittany Birch needles.

started: october 25, 2007
finished: october 23, 2007

this was my first miter square/domino/modular knitting project. they are very popular in the shop i work at, so i thought i would give it a go and see what all the fuss is about. it was... okay.

what i told BossLady at the shop today was that i probably should have picked a project with larger yarn. the technique was a little tricky to learn on small dark yarn. and while it should always be about the process, i have to admit that i do think about the fact that by the time i finished the 14 squares of this little heart on size 2 needles, i could have finished 1/3 of a Rambling Rows Afghan on 8 needles.

still. it is cute, and i have one more little trick in my knitting arsenal. plus...koigu is yummy to knit. i think i have enough left to be able to knit a mini sock out of my leftover koigu. yum.

oh, my eyes.

it is no wonder crochet gets such a bad name. people with absolutely no taste design things that are supposed to be whimsical, but in reality, they are just horrifying.

i barely have words.

i mean, a cow print scarf could be fun.... maybe. but only for an adorable child. who loves cows. and it under the age of 8.

but i have to know.... udders?!?! why, oh, why?

just looking at this scarf makes me feel sort of dirty. like i am violating a cow's privacy or something.
they aren't even very realistic looking, but there is something about the intent that gives me the heebeegeebees.

this is what i get for not being able to maintain a normal sleep schedule--my eyes burned out from late night browsing.

from What Not to Crochet.

what's in a name

i have been meaning to write this post for a few months now. finally the day has come when the misspelling of my blog name and/or misinterpretation of its purpose in life has crossed the line into the absurd. so here is the story of my blog's name....

back in the 1990s when we all had to code our own html to have what were then known as Online Journals, i had a nickname given to me by some girlfriends. that nickname was kittythin(g). this was my public nickname because half the time one or more of them just called me skinnybitch (i was the smallest of our group and the one most likely to act as the enforcer).

it stuck. the few gals i am still in touch with do call me "kitty" as a term of endearment. so i used the nickname as my blog name because i'm just creative that way.

why this long explanation?

1. because knitters think the name is knittythin(g). nope. i write a lot about knitting, but the name is "meow".... not K2,P2.
2. i was sent an online test to determine which lolcat i am... with very little explanation for the choice. i was perplexed. i only know what a lolcat is because madhatternalice sends me one like.... every other hour. while this blog may have a lot of grammatical errors, it is not associated in any way to pictures of kitties doing giggle-worthy things.

i did take the test. i am serious cat. as if that was not obvious enough based on this post.

hat-o-rama part one

without actively deciding to, i seem to have made the hat my project of choice lately. several reasons... we needed more hat store models at work. i was itching to get back to my crochet, and a crocheted hat is a glorious thing. hats are my entry level gift, and i have several new handmade gift recipients this year. if i have never made you a gift before, i will probably start with a hat. (if you are lucky enough to make the list!) i don't really like making scarves very much, and a hat takes me less time and keeps my interest to the end. i don't like to begrudge gifts i have made.

than being said... let's meet the store models i made. we will start with the more prissy of the two.

Lace Edged "Sitting Pretty" Hat
designed by Louisa Harding
published in hats gloves scarves:
easy designer knits for family and friends

knit in Frog Tree Merino (1 ball #204, 100% Merino Wool) from Knit+Stitch=Bliss on size US 7 24" addi turbo needles.

started: october 4, 7, and 8 2007
finished: october 9, 2007

yes, that is correct. i started this project over several times. you know those projects that just give you fits? there is no reason why they should. they are not particularly difficult. you have done the techniques before... so on.... this was one of those.

we started out on the wrong foot, and i didn't get the upper hand again until the end. (wow! way to mix a metaphor, kitty!) it all began when i cast on and started knitting in the round. then i get to row 5 and see "on each WS row". wait. things knit in the round never get knit on the wrong side.

oops.
it went downhill from there. who knits hats flat then sticks a seam in them? a lot of people, apparently! just not me. i mean, derr. that is why they invented handy things like, i don't know... double pointed needles!

i will say that if you like the pattern, please knit it. but knit it flat, or take the time to mentally convert the pattern. also, use stitch markers to indicate the lace repeat. it will make your life so much easier, especially in the rows with double decreases.

two great things about this project. the yarn rocks. i love this stuff. it is worth every penny (and they aren't even that many pennies). the colors and hand are amazing. second great thing--top decreases. they are beautiful. the seems a little big when you are doing the lace (even at gauge!) but i think they do that so you will have a longer set of decreases. they spiral around the crown of the hat and look A+.

hat number two is another store model. this time i wrote up a pattern and crocheted a hat from a single skein of Manos. so....

Manos del Uruguay One Skein Beanie
designed by kittything
pattern available free with purchase of yarn at Knit+Stitch=Bliss

crocheted in Manos del Uruguay (1 skein #105 "Lava", kettle dyed 100% wool) from Knit+Stitch=Bliss with a size J Laurel Hill hardwood crochet hook.

started: september 5, 2007
finished: september 6, 2007

this was my fast and easy distraction from the evil lace hat. i started it because i wanted something that was totally the opposite of the lace hat. i succeeded--manly, crocheted, and easy! it was fun to work on, and i had never crocheted Manos before.

i think it turned out pretty well.
it looks good next to its friend for life--the pompom hat knit in #105 "Bramble". Lava and Bramble... BFFs despite their different modes of creation. ahh, to see the intercraftual love.

(ps- i did not knit the bramble hat. my work pal A. knit it. yay!)

next week, tune in to see how beanies and tiny needles took over the world.

good clean knitting fun

i have knit a few dish/face cloths in the last month, and i am ready to share them! we'll start with a belated birthday gift.

Mesh Garter Cloth
designed by kittything

knit in RYC Cotton Jeans (1 ball #360 "Canvas" 100% cotton) purchased at Knit+Stitch=Bliss on size US 7 Plymouth bamboo needles.

started: october 15, 2007
finished: october 16, 2007

this one is a present for one of my knitting pals. i can't reveal too much until i give it to said friend. i liked it. it was a fun quick knit, and the yarn is very pretty when knit up. it gets a little splitty when knit, but i like the look enough to forgive it.

it is very close to the end of the Fall Into Autumn Swap, and i have decided to finally reveal the cloths i knit for my buddy. she doesn't do a lot of pictures on her blog, so i want to have these in case she wants to take them for herself after she gets the package.

so our first friend is...

Traveling Vines Cloth
designed by smariek
available at smarieknits

knit in Karabella Windy (1 ball color #5 100% cotton) purchased at Knit+Stitch=Bliss on size US 8 needles.

started: september 11, 2007
finished: september 11, 2007

i love this yarn. it makes a super soft fabric, and it is really fun to knit. best of all, the colors are really amazing. i liked it so much that i knit a second cloth for my swap buddy out of it...

moving on to swap cloth number two...


Twin Leaf Lace Cloth
designed by smariek
available at smarieknits

knit in Karabella Windy (1 ball color #4 100% cotton) purchased at Knit+Stitch=Bliss on size US 8 needles.

started: september 12, 2007
finished: september 13, 2007

again. i loved knitting this one. it was lots of fun. enough said. let's move on to this week's Fall Into Autumn topic...

Now that it is getting cooler here, it makes me think of apple picking and hay rides. Are you the type that likes to go to participate in all the fall festivities like apple picking, pumpkins, decorating for the fall, hay rides, baking fall goodies, etc. or do you just sit and count the days till Thanksgiving/Christmas/Hanukkah?

i am hit or miss on my fall "participation". i enjoy eating apples and other fall foods like pumpkin treats, and i have been known to carve a mean jack'o'lantern every once in awhile.

i think if i had more "free" time, i might do more of the fall activities... who am i kidding? i would just knit and crochet more.

the big mushy post

i am back from the wedding, and there are so many things i could say... wow. what a weekend! it was very special for our family in many ways.

the day was beautiful. Jess was even more lovely. Mark cried like a little boy. and now they are married! i managed to get some pictures, but not many because i was 1. busy and 2. enjoying the moment too much to bother with a camera much of the time.



Mark and Jessie on the steps of St. John's Church. this is our family church. my parents and jess's parents were married here as well as our grandparents and many of our other relatives. we forgot to have the photographer take this shot, so i did it with my camera. i wanted Jess to get one on the steps because i love the picture of my parents on St. John's steps after their wedding.


my parents on the steps of St. John's in August of... 1978? my mum is wearing her own mother's wedding dress, and yes my father is in a tan leisure suit. you are not mistaken if you find yourself asking "are those platform shoes?" similarity i love between the two pictures... both brides look lovely and happy. both grooms have a funny look on their face.


my parents dancing at the wedding. isn't that sweet? working on 30 years and they still like each other! a lot! another exciting things about this weekend was a special anniversary. jess and i's uncle pat (my dad's brother) and aunt judy celebrated their 40th anniversary on sunday.


Jess and I together. my mother really wanted a picture of the two of us together all done up. and smiling! obviously we were standing together at the church, but there was a lot of happy crying happening.

we have an ongoing debate... do jess and i look alike? both of us say no, but mark insists that we do. maybe more now than back in the day...


jess and i before prom in 1998. notice that jessie is always the pretty princess and i always have the big hair. not that i am complaining... jessie is a princess (the good kind!) and i do have a lot of hair.


before we leave that subject entirely, let's meet a prince charming... this is my cousin carl escorting jess's mom to her seat. as i said... this was a big day for our family. aunt maureen was in a very serious car accident right after jess and mark got engaged. she has had many surgeries and a very long and painful recovery. her goal was to walk down the aisle at her daughter's wedding. she succeeded, and even surpassed the desired goal.


aunt maureen and uncle tom were able to dance together at their daughter's wedding. when it seems like a perfect day cannot get any better--it does.

i will close with one last picture...


me with our cousin alison. this was the day after the wedding. i was writing down the gifts as mark and jess opened them, allison was having fun with my camera. she is a rockin' photographer, and i can't wait to see the shots she got at the wedding.

so that's it. there are a million stories. little mishaps. big laughs. i'm sure i'll be retelling them for years to come.

coming soon to a blog near you.... crafty content, including a gift i managed to finish while traveling to and from the wedding.

there goes the bridesmaid....

i'm off to ohio for a few days to see my big-sis-type-cousin down the aisle. before i go i want to share a terrifying craft wrought by my own two hands for the bride.

this is the bouquet....

the rehearsal bouquet, that is. we follow the silly tradition of making it from the bows off the packages received at showers. J. had 4 showers (long story) so she had a ton of bows. i even threw out the ones that got really nasty or mangled and only used quality bows for this terrifying double sided monstrosity.

i love it.
let's hope airport security doesn't steal it from me.





i also got my hair cut and the gal blew it out for me, so i thought i would share. it basically looks the same, but all the yuck has been cut away. i like this gal. she understands and appreciates long hair. even when you are living in a Bob Only town.



back next week. i'll have a real knitting update and i will actually do next week's Fall Into Autumn topic.

this time i know....

this is not awesome. it is terrifying.

Knitting Nativity Charts.

i can't even post a picture of them because it burns my eyes. two things i will point out that are so wrong here.... first, the poor child wearing the sweater. it (she? i think?) looks miserable. second, on the sleeve there is a shephard tending his flock. it certainly looks like he is tending them all right.

lather, rinse, repeat. its gonna be okay. we'll get through this together.

two small things.

first! the lace edged hat is no longer thwarting me. i think i just had to attend my monthly Stitch'n'Bitch and bask in the positive knitting mojo of my knitting BFF, the lovely CG. picture soon.

second! i'm not sure if this is awesome of terrifying..... um. thanks, knitty.com.

south by southwest

it takes me a flipping long time to knit a pair of socks. i just can't seem to stay devoted to a single pair long enough to have them done rapidly. there is always a side project dividing my time... or other socks. the good news is that i finally finished this pair, and almost all of the distracting knitting along the way was holiday gifts. okay, okay... i knit myself a sweater too, but.... shh. i can't do a lacy pattern in the dark.

the details.....

Southwestern Socks
designed by Wendy Johnson
pattern available at The Loopy Ewe

knit in Mountain Colors Bearfoot (1 skein of the "Sun River" colorway, 60% superwash wool, 25% mohair, 15% nylon) purchased at Knit+Stitch=Bliss on size US 2 5" Brittany Birch double point needles.

started: august 13, 2007
finished: october 3, 2007

i love these socks. the pattern was fun. the yarn is a yummy color, and i survived doing my first pair of toe-up. woo!

as usual, these socks are slightly fraternal. my cast-on toe was different for each sock. the first one, i used the figure 8 toe, and i was never entirely pleased with the results. for the second i decided to make-up my own toe that is a combination of the provisional cast on using a crochet chain and the knitting circularly of the figure 8 toe. i wanted it to not have holes, so i did a little trickery with my first round of knitting. what i did was sort of a combination of all three techniques wendy details in this knitty article.

am i a convert, you ask? maybe. i like toe-up and i like top down. i'm happy to build my socks either way. as a change of pace, i like the way the heel without a flap looks on this sock, but i can also in enjoy a good heel flap (i.e. the cabled flap on the log cabin socks).

i will say that i like grafting. i just think it is fun. i know some people hate to graft, so they prefer toe-up socks, but i would rather graft 16 stitches together than execute a stretchy bind off over 52 stitches.

anyway.... i mentioned the fraternal nature of the socks, and it goes beyond the cast on. i have 4 extra rows in the second sock. i know, i know, i am a fool, and i should have torn back, but i realized it one full pattern repeat before i began the ribbing... which is to say about 30 minutes before the sock would be bound off. i'm not sure if the extra rows came about by starting the gusset increases too late, or by forgetting to increase on some rounds, hence making more rounds of knitting go by before i reached the correct number of stitches.

either way, i tried the socks both on before deciding to proceed or tear out 60% of the completed sock back to the 2nd repeat before the gusset. what i discovered was that the +4 sock is actually great on my left foot, which is larger than my right foot. so i decided to make lemons into lemonade (be lazy) and leave the socks as is. fortunately the 2nd sock had some odd color pooling that helps identify it as meant for the left. yes!

on thursday i leave for my cousin's wedding. there will obviously be no updates in the later half of the week. i am hoping to be able to post a picture of the Manos Crochet Beanie i did up as a model for the store, and i would like to do this week's Fall Into Autumn topic. we shall see if i make it.

in mixed news.... i am taking no knitting with me to ohio. i refuse to risk my needles and sanity being stolen by an ego tripping TSA agent. i have heard too many horror stories at the store of agents who don't give knitters the option to mail the needles back to themself or put the project on waste yarn. the problem is that the TSA doesn't address knitting needles on their list of banned or restricted items. when you call them, they say it is up to the discretion of the agent.

they do, however, assure travelers that they can wear a gel padded bra through security or carry less than 3oz of personal lubricant on a flight. so i guess the mile high club is in, but knitting at 30,000 feet it out.

instead i plan to bring crochet projects. it is a good thing i am happily bi-craft-ual.

we'll get through this together

i have been very neglectful because i seem to only get busier and busier. here is the short version.

go see The Trial at Catalyst Theatre Company. there are some very good performances, and the show has some pretty (awesome) disorienting moments. some cast members claim it isn't tight enough yet, but i dug it.

the reviews are out for The Arabian Nights. Nelson was very sweet to us in The Post. we are a Potomac Stages Pick. and then DC Theatre Scene seems to have sent a gossip columnist to review a theatre show. everyone is allowed to have their own opinion about a show, but i think people will pay more attention to your opinion if you don't go in for name calling mixed with inane compliments like "Most of the ensemble had to memorize an extraordinary number of lines for their multiple parts, and they do an excellent job". i am at a loss....

7. numbers of days in a row i have worked in some capacity for the store. i'm tired. but i did make a cool store model (crocheted hat), which i can take a picture of on tuesday.

i am being thwarted by a lace edged hat pattern i am trying to knit for the store. this thing is going to drive me to distraction. i have frogged it three times. i am on attempt number four and i have had to tink whole rows twice already and tonight during the greenbay v. chicago game, i threw it in disgust. yes, i chose football over knitting. i'm looking up errata after this.... rar.

on a positive note, i finished my southwestern socks on wednesday night. go me. pictures and project details tomorrow. related to that, i was able to try the first completed log cabin sock on a large male foot, and it was perfect. and beautiful! yay cables. the receiver will have nothing to complain about. yay!

ps- picture is from the show.... knitting pics tomorrow.

three things...

first, i turned the heel on the second southwestern sock yesterday, and i am part way up the leg. i only have about 30 more rounds before i bind off. woot!

second, i got an email last night around 11pm from one of my work pals at the store.... my Fall Into Autumn swap buddy stopped by over the weekend! and she just then told me! (hehe. thanks, D.!) i was opening the show, so i wasn't working. both good and bad--i'm a little excited still that we have an anonymous swap and i want to wait until after my package arrives to know who my buddy is. but at the same time, how cool would it be to get to meet your pal--especially in a yarn store.

well, swap buddy...
i hope you had a good time at the shop and that everyone was nice to you. the pal who emailed me is very sweet, so i'm sure it couldn't be bad! she also said you bought something, so i hope you are enjoying your goodies!

third, we have a new Fall Into Autumn topic of the week....

Are there any recipes you especially enjoy having in the Fall? Any foods that are seasonal that you especially enjoy?

for me, fall marks the return to real cooking and the beginning of holiday food planning.

a few weekends ago i did a big stock up on cooking. i go back to the things you make in the oven and freeze them because this is a very busy work season for me. fall means baked zitti, veg. lasagna, and homemade mac and cheese are back!

my mum and i also start to talk about the Christmas Eve dinner. this is our big special occasion for me, and my parents. we have dinner on the 24th before doing the big family gathering on the 25th. we use the crystal and make a several course meal. so planning it is a lot of fun, and we start early. in fact, mum and i talked about a new recipe while it was still september!

v-power

i took this picture at 8:23am last thursday morning on my way to a meeting. i left the theatre at approximately 1:47am that "night", and i know i was not in bed until after 3:00am.


no v-power?! come on, throw a dog a bone!

in!

i got my invite to ravelry today. i discovered it when i was working at the store and talking to some of the other ladies. a customer (a male knitter who was already in ravelry) was so happy for me that after he made his purchase, he congratulated me.

sweet.

i only played for about 20 minutes so i could say i used it, but i already have one complaint. because, you know, i am obviously ungrateful. i don't use flickr, i use picasa, and all photo sharing has to be done through flickr. i hope they decide to hook up picasa because it is attached to google/gmail/blogger.... the things i use.

we'll see.

otherwise, seems neat.

where my stitches?

i checked my wait list position on ravelry yesterday as part of my once a week opportunity to be self-indulgent. i was in the top 500, so i decided i should keep an eye on my spam box and that i would be allowed to check it again today without seeming a little too obsessed.

would you look at that?

Found you!

• You signed up on July 29, 2007
• You are #21487 on the list.
• 68 people are ahead of you in line.
• 16708 people are behind you in line.
• 55% of the list has been invited so far

guess it looks like tomorrow! just when i have a design project to complete, and i'm not allowed to play.

in related news....
i don't know how i feel about the relaunch of Crochet Me. i can see why she may want to get away from the online magazine format, but i don't know about this interactive business.... and willy nilly pattern posting. this used to be the Knitty for crocheters. now... i don't know.

free from the asylum

sometimes a big show with very crazy energy makes you feel a bit like you have been trapped inside the asylum--attempting to run it. well, we are open, and the inmates are left to run it themselves. woot!

i feel a bulleted list is in order to full cover the goings on...

• my sewing machine is sick. please think good thoughts for it because i need to take it to the doctor. boo.
• saw the show on friday night with the toughest theatre critic i personally know, and he had good things to say about what he saw. he even tip toed up to the line of gushing about my design. (his gushing would still be seen as sedate.) made me happy. yay.
• stuffed all the unused costumes back into my car saturday afternoon. there were still a lot, even though there is now a whole show upstairs on racks! it took many trips up and down the Stairs of Doom, and much cramming. now i just need to give it all back to the theatres i borrowed from.
• opened the beast on saturday night. i wore my favourite Really Hot Red Dress. it is a riff on the classic Diane Von Furstenberg wrap dress, and i always feel really good when i wear it. oh, yeah... the show was good too. ha. looking good and laughing a lot. that was what the evening was about. we also had a party at the theatre after the show. it was fun. there was wine and middle eastern food.
• sunday i had my first meeting for Life's a Dream at Journeyman Theater. while the director and i did not get overly specific about what we are going to do, it was fun and very informative. plus, i never realized how punk rock Byzantine fashion really was. ha.
• i had dinner over at A and R's place. her brother was in town from philly for the day, and he cooked an awesome roasted vegetable and phyllo dough pie. fantastic! A's brother rocks. always happy to see him, and this time i got to meet his pretty lady friend. very cool. and to top off the fun there... the little boy was in a good mood and let me play with him a lot. we swapped hats several times, and there was much giggling over the eating of baby toes.
• i am ready to turn the heel on my 2nd southwestern sock. finally! and i cast on for the 2nd log cabin sock! gotta get my act together!
• my cousin's wedding is in less than 2 weeks. i am so excited and freaked at the same time. woot!

the latest Fall Into Autumn topic next time....