razzle dazzle them

i got home the other night and there was a package slip in my mailbox. the
jerk subcontractor who delivers my mail on behalf of the USPS never leaves packages. (that is in no way relevant to the story. i just like to complain about it) so i go to the post office yesterday and pick it up. and i discover i have two packages. two packages in one day!

this is the highlight of my week folks.

so i open the known entity and i received all 20 yards of gold chainette fringe that i ordered. huzzah. (i also bought approximately 75 yards of sparkly metallic red plastic beads today. my life is so glamourous. these items are what the title of the post refer to. any guess what show i am designing?)

and the second box was my latest skein of the month!

it contained a skein of Fiesta yarn's Swoon, a set of sheep magnets (with fence!), and pattern i already own. but that okay because i can give it to friend. magnets may go to a friend as well. cute, but i have my fair share of magnets in my life. spread the love.

speaking of love.... i just want to rub this yarn on my face. it is super delightful. Swoon is 55% extra fine merino wool and 45% silk. it knits to 4.5 stitches to the inch on a size US 8 needle. my skein is hand painted in color #20121 "poppies".


i would never have bought these colors for myself, but they are very pretty. i think i will go with a scarf as suggested in the package and if it knits up looking sufficiently "me" i'll wear it. otherwise, pay it forward baby. or maybe not. maybe i'll knit something entirely different than i usually do.

i have been on that sort of a jag lately. ever since e sweater betrayed me and i crocheted that baby blanket, i have been crazy about making adorable kid stuff from my stash. everything is cuter in miniature.

anyway!
to get such nice color in this picture i did something typical for me that i think freaks out my neighbors. i stuck part of myself out my window and used the window ledge to support the subject of my photo whilst snapping away. my neighbor across the way saw me and was puzzled. i was singing Blitzkrieg Bop at the time (no, not very loudly) so that could have been it as well.

whistle while you work, folks.

ps- happy leap day!

squash!

i am beginning to think i am just not a sweater knitter. i have the technical skill and i have enough patience, but i don't think i can make both of those qualities merge in one sweater project for myself. i hope not, but it seems to be true.

i guess it is a good thing that i love to knit little tidbits like hats....

Baby Squash Hat
designed by Tamara Del Sonno
published in 101 Designer One-Skein Wonders

knit in Plymouth Encore (sage green 75% acrylic , 25% wool) leftovers from my stash on size US 5 needles.

started: february 25, 2008
finished: february 26, 2008

this is one of the patterns that made me want to buy this book. i love it. the hat is adorable and an extremely fast little knit.

my friends need to have more babies. knitting stuff for kiddos is way too fun. it doesn't take too long. it uses less yarn. and everything is cuter in miniature.

so i wondered about the hat's name.... squash? yeah, it has the little curl at top. and i guess it could look like a pumpkin (a squash) with the wide rib. it i also modeled by a squash in the book.

and guess what? i photographed mine n a butternut myself. i searched all over my apartment from an appropriate model, and that was what i had.

funny.

back to mittens. i started the 2nd striped mitten in my class tuesday, and i have wound a skein of yarn that really wants to be a pair of mittens. can't wait! warm hands!

fascinating

i have in the past debated the merits of organic yarns (thinking also of hand spun, hand painted, or other similarly granola varieties) but i had never actually considered the question of cotton fiber cultivation vs. wool fiber cultivation in terms of environmental impact.

thank you, slate.com.

i failed to mention...

i can totally change my own flat tire. this happened on valentines day. i went around all day saying "and people wonder how his girl can possibly stay single!?!" when recounting my victory over the steep hill, lousy car jack, and general lameness of flat tires on cold days.

i shiver with anticipation!

by the end of the week my hands should be warm again. i have not had proper hand coverings since i put my own gloves into a show the first week of january. (always the shoe maker's children....)

fun stuff, huh?

more birthday pressies

happy birthday to my cousin jess. it was last weekend, but now i can reveal the pressies i made for her because they have arrived.

i know dishcloths seem kinda lame, but they work. jess likes the handmade kind, and she doesn't like when i spend money on her so this is a good compromise. all four were made from the book The Big Book of Dishcloths: 99 Designs to Crochet. published by Leisure Arts. they are made from 2 partial skeins of Lion Cotton from my stash.

i got lucky stash-wise and cousin-money-annoyed-wise because i had navy and lavender in my stash already. they are an interesting color combination, but her kitchen has navy accents and she likes purple so i will say that it works.

girl power weekend?

i didn't plan a theme for my weekend, but it sort of worked out that way. we have both a project and an event.

first, the project.

Baby Starghan
designed by Beth Espina-Cole
published on The Diva Crochets
finished size: approx. 43" diameter. if stars really have diameter....

crocheted in Caron Simply Soft Shadows (approx 5-6 skeins of "Fuchsia Flare", 100% acrylic) with a size "I" crochet hook.

started: february 18, 2008.
finished: february 23, 2008.

this was a project devoted to 3 specific purposes it could serve in my life.

1. stash busting. 5.5 skeins of stash yarn down! and now i have a reserve project for the next girly kiddo that comes along.

2. crochet, baby. i had been knitting so much that my hooks were getting rusty. this was a nice way to shake off the rust and re-earn my happy hooker certification.

3. give knitting the finger. you know which finger i am talking about. knitting more than 6 inches of the body of the gathered pullover and then having to tear it back out was a disheartening experience. that sweater is not a fan of me. ever-obedient crochet plucked up my little crafter spirits.

this pattern calls for a DK weight yarn, but yu can do it in anything, really. mine is worsted weight, but i also bet it would look great in a fingering weights handpaint like koigu. on the other extreme, i want to make another one of these blankies in super-chunky yarn so it can be an "on the floor" type of blankie you sit a baby on to play. i think it would look really cute in something like lion's wool-ease thick & quick.

now that i have the blankie done, the sweater is calling to me again, but i am forgoing project monogamy for the time being. i have a mittens and gloves class to teach on tuesday and i am knitting up my sample project. i think it is easier to share how a technique is accomplished when you are working on the project as well. picture after the first mitten is finished.

i went out yesterday and took the metro, so i did get some work done on the gathered pullover. i had to take the metro all the way out to Stadium-Armory so i probably managed an inch of progress.

why did i venture all the out into the depths of southeast DC, you might ask.....

DC Rollergirls.
yes, roller derby. they had a bout at the armory yesterday and my friend Price and i took it in. he had bought the tickets for he and his girlfriend, but she couldn't go at the last minute so he brought me along. it was fun.

it was the kind of fun that makes you want to put on a pair of skates and kick some ass until you remember you lack both free time and health insurance. well.... at least that is how i felt. ha.

it was a double header, but Price could only stay for the first bout. so we saw the DC DemonCats defeat the Secretaries of Hate. he was disappointed because he wanted to see Scare Force One (the current league champs) who are said to be a bunch of tough chicks any way you slice it. they were up against the Cherry Blossom Bombshells.

as you can see, clever naming goes with the territory.... and it extends to the skaters. some of their names are DC related like the teams.... (i.e Demonica Lewinsky and Beltway Betty.) others are clever plays on famous names... (Lois Slain and Camilla the Hun) and still others are just amusing. (Six5onSkates... she really is 6'5" on skates. taaaaall chick. stay out of her way.)

now the questions remains... would i go to another bout? yes, i would. i wouldn't rearrange my schedule for it, but i would go on a non-tech weekend. it was fun. who wouldn't have a good time in a place where you can drink beer while watching girls in small outfits beat the crap out of each other?

i also like a good pun, you know.

truly outrageous

with the sweater giving me fits, i said "up yours knitting!" and decided to crochet something. so i started an afghan with stash yarn. i had about 825 yards of this hot pink stuff still left in my stash box. it should make a nice kid sized throw.

i am further along than the picture. i was in the middle of the 2nd ball (the 1st was a partial) and now i am about to join the fourth. the problem with things worked in the round is that the progress looks like it slows waaaaay down. it is beginning to take 15-20 minutes to get around the blanket. whew!


other things....

the Lion Brand Fashion Show. there are a lot of ugly things, but there are also a few neat things. i think some of the crocheted throws are pretty swell.

also, who knew lucid dreaming was a goal people were willing to pay for?

happy belated valentine's day.

i've been busy, but i do want to show off what my mum sent me for the holiday. that is four more skeins of Noro Kureyon for my Lizard Ridge afghan, a postal scale (very handy both for my work and for yarn purposes), a handful of dove chocolates, and a funny card.

my mum is an excellent selector of cards. this one reads....

(outside) Men come and go, but friends are forever. (inside) And they're really handy at mocking the men who go. happy valentine's day.

we share a sorta sick sense of humour.

in yarny news, i have a project to post later in the week. i crocheted a gift for my cousin's birthday gift, and it goes in the mail tomorrow. i don't want to ruin the surprise for my FBL either (hi, mark!).

i also just ripped out 6.5" of my gathered pullover. that is 1.5" before i was supposed to start my cable chart. sigh. this will be the sweater i reknit until the cows come home. and i just don't get it. i swatched. i knit. i checked the gauge in the full piece over and over again as i went. i was knitting to almost 5 stitches per inch (i need 4.75/inch) and then.... WHAM!! out of no where my gauge is 4 stitches per inch all over and the sweater body is 34" instead of 32".

i feel like an evil knitting fairy has been spreading evil fairy dust over this project. i mean, my gauge is never this wonky. i'm going to recast on tomorrow on smaller needles, and i may even take out some of the stitches.

i am also a little rankled because blogger's spell check is not working for me. jerks.

i never used to care

now that i am no longer in school and don't have a roommate, i like to have the tv when i am working. keeps me company. 4 tv related things....

boo
Pushing Daisies won't be back until the fall.

yay
there will still be episodes of LOST shot this spring.

WTF?
why didn't anyone tell me that Jeremy Sisto joined the cast of Law & Order? now i might have to watch it.... (sorry, Peter Krause and Rachel Griffiths... you are some of my other favourite folks from Six Feet Under but i just don't think i can do your shows.)

OMG!
Lauren Ambrose is providing one of the voices in the film version of Where the Wild Things Are!!

the good, the bad, the greedy.

the good
i finished the 2nd sleeve of my gathered pullover. they match! whoo!

the bad
i need different needles for the body of the sweater before i can continue. stitch gauge is fine, but the row gauge looks like cat vomit. (rather distinct image, no?) plus, the circulars i have are a little too cramped for all 152 stitches.

i cannot imagine knitting the size 48"! (cast on 228!?!)

the greedy
the post office is raising the price of stamps again. they did it last year and they are doing it again. greedy jerkfaces. i now see that this "forever" stamp was just a ploy... a way to make us feel better abot them raising the price annually for kicks.

hmph.

3 knitting things

1. i knit through the second ball of cashmere for my scarf. i am now halfway there! yay! this is project knitting to the extreme.

i have sorta stopped enjoying the process of the scarf because it is a little too simple... but i will say that i can hit a rhythm with the yarn and knit through yards and yards effortlessly.

2. i went back to my gathered pullover after being shamed this week by a regular customer at the shop who asked me if i had finished it yet. um. no. one sleeve. languishing.

i started the 2nd sleeve.... 4 times. i hadn't knit on this sweater since december, and i had forgotten how tricky the gauge was. the pattern is written to be knit in sport weight yarn on larger needles to get a drapey, slightly sheer fabric. i wanted a sweater i could wear without a cami underneath, so i went up to a DK (ish) yarn.... still knit loosely.

man.
it was tricky. first, i am knitting intentionally a little looser than i normally do (which is already loose). second, the desired gauge is 4.75 stitch = 1 inch. 4.75!?! that is a stupid gauge. i knit a lot of 5 stitches = 1 inch projects, so it is tricky to take a tiny step to the side.
hmph.

long story short, halfway through the 2nd sleeve. finally.

3. Rowan has new knitwear models. just when Interweave Knits stops using more realistic women (yet still small/thin) in favor of modely long and lean, Rowan mixes it up a bit. Rowan 43 has one pretty normal gal. She's a little curvy even. the shocker is their new book All Seasons at the Mill. seriously, these are folks off the street.

same project, different yarn

i can finally reveal my first finished project of the year. these are the fingerless mitts i knit for penguingirl's birthday. i call them the "30 and fabulous" mitts. because every girl needs something happy and frivolous when she meets a milestone.

if you want to read about the pattern and such, go have a look at the previous post i did on the 2nd version of this project.

i'm so lazy. not doing full project details anymore. but i am trying to cut myself a little slack. 'tis better to post pretty pictures to share than to go silent all together.

in other news.... facebook is strange.

a friend i really wanted to get in touch with again lured me in, and now loads of folks are adding me as a friend.... and i am way lame at doing up the features. maybe because i don't entirely "get" the point of some of it.

i find it sort of funny that facebook baffles me (myspace, on the other hand, freaks me out) yet i love ravelry. just add yarn and i am good to go.

project-wise i am back on the cashmere scarf until i can more time to return to the gathered pullover... which i still hope to finish this month. keep your fingers crossed for me.

maybe my mum is right about february.

my mother hates february. she says it is cold and gey and uninspiring.... and throws you off because it is short month. boo.

i have been working and knitting. and being tired.

that is my excuse. busy and tired. i don't even feel like doing a full project breakdown on this little sweater because it is to much effort.

well, too much effort for a store model. i decided to knit it to take it off my boss' hands. it also gave me a chance to practice my finishing. i will say that i did a nice job sewing it up. the side seams are invisible and i managed to match the self-striping yarn to 99% perfection (there was a defect in the printing of one stripe.).

started it last tuesday and finished it yesterday.... and i didn't even work on it friday-sunday. it claims to be size 6-9 months, but it is about the size of 24 months. and, yes.... i was knitting to gauge.

that is all for now.

oh!
and i forgot.
the superbowl last year was when i taught myself how to knit. so i have officially been knitting for more than a year now! go me.

a few little things

not to leave you too disappointed that i have not shared my first finished object, i have two new ones i finished over the weekend. aside from the gathered pullover, which i have been neglecting, i will probably only have small projects until i am off the yarn diet because i am working from my stash, which is... well... full of small project amounts of yarn. the first...

Purl Beret
designed by Isabelle at Purl Soho
published on the purl bee blog

knit in Plymouth Happy Feet (1 skein color 06, 90% superwash wool, 10% nylon) purchased at K+S=B on size US 1 addi turbo circular needles.

started: january 22, 2008
finished: january 26, 2008

this was a a quick little knit. now if i could just knit my socks this quickly. i realized this was a whole sock worth of fingering weight yarn, so i wish i could be this focused and get a sock done with the same efficiency. alas, this was simpler than most sock, so it is no wonder it was faster.

i was also "project", rather than "process" knitting here. i enjoy going through the process of socks. i was just knitting this so i could wear it because i like the yarn and the pattern is cute.

i think i will modify a bit if i knit it again. i was knitting to the specified 7 stitches = 1 inch, and i think it is a little on the small side in terms of over all scale. of course, i have been wearing my very floppy Urchin beret, so in comparison this is much smaller.

also, i only steam blocked this to even out the stitches from the decreasing. i will probably wet block it over a dinner plate at some point to make it more beret-esque. what can i say? i go for the Little Match Girl look with my berets. (yes, i am well aware of the fact that the story is usually told with her bareheaded.)

my next stash project is a birthday gift for a friend who just celebrated her birthday while i was in tech for Life's a Dream. the details...

Fingerless Mitts
designed by Ann Budd
published in Weekend Knitting

knit in Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk (2 skeins color #8, 80% baby alpaca, 20% silk) on size US 6 needles.

started: january 26, 2008
finished: january 27, 2008

i like this pattern a lot. so much so that i plan to make a pair for myself from some Reynolds Rapture left in my stash (previously seen in the center squared hat and unseen sweater). it is simple, pretty, and fast.

on this pair i sewed up the side seam rather than doing the three needle bind off called for in the book because i sew a better looking seam than the 3 needle bind off creates.

i hope they fit. i have stupidly tiny hands, and i try everything on myself, so there is a good chance my friend will need a little more room. here's hoping that is not the case!

okay....
so i mentioned the show, and it is closing this weekend. i am a little sad to see it go. it is a good one, and i enjoy knowing it is out here running and people are watching it. so. go get a ticket local folks.

here is another picture to tempt you....



aren't they a good looking bunch? lindsay is wearing a stupid sexist veil for me, and theo grew that silly goatee just because i asked him to. and jim... well, he probably actually likes wearing the crown. go reward them for being good sports in the name of art.


Life's a Dream
by Pedro Calderon de la Barca
Adapted by John Barton and Adrian Mitchell
Directed by Alexander Strain
Produced by Journeymen Theater Ensemble
playing at Church Street Theater

cast: Maggie Glauber, Rex Daugherty, Eric Messner, Brian Crane, Theo Hadjimichael, Lindsay Haynes, Jim Jorgensen, Jesse Terrill, Andrew Vergara Retizos, and Mary C. Davis.

closing saturday february 2, 2008.

shoot your tv

one of my indulgences in life is having bad TV on in the background while i am knitting or doing my budgets for work. today i heard the stupidest commercial in the world. so stupid i couldn't let it go.

it was for toothpaste and it was chastising people for drinking acidic drinks because it is bad for tooth enamel. they use wine and orange juice as examples and go on to say that when drinking acidic drinks, you should use a straw (and their toothpaste) to avoid tooth contact.

um.
hold on a sec.
am i the only one who made the mistake in college of drinking wine from a Hello Kitty sippy cup with a straw at a theme party? in case i am the only person who ever did this, i can say now... back away from the straw. when you drink wine with a straw you will be catatonic in approximately half a glass.

no joke.
and in case none of you have ever been bitten by wine (accidentally or intentionally), rely on my straw induced mistakes and don't make this one for yourself. don't be this guy!

career goal #47
become the person who tells advertisers when they are making glaringly stupid suggestions.

skein-of-the-month

my first skein-of-the-month package arrived, and it has lots of fun goodies. first, the skein. i got 1 skein of Sheep Shop "Sheep 3". this is 325 yards of sport/DK weight 30% silk, 70% wool goodness. it is butter soft and delightful to touch. i would not have picked this color for myself, but this whole free yarn thing may be a nice way to expand my color point of view.

if i don't use it for myself, there are always gifts to be made, and i think this yarn would be fabulous for a hat and bootie set.

also included in my package was a pattern from the Sheep Shop for scarf knit in one skein of Sheep 3. it is called Silky Leaves Scarf, and they will be releasing it to the general public soon.

look at me... being all exclusive and stuff.

WEBS aso sent me a cute little retractable tape measure. yippee! enough about me.... my mom is becoming a sock knitter! and i taught her! look at her awesome progress!


i completed my first finished object of 2008, but i can't show it to you until february. soon i will get some of my tiny needle knits done and share--the hat is closing in! and i have some old projects that need to be revealed.

the accidental set

i made a set. or am making... this was an accident.

obviously it isn't matchy matchy (which i don't do) but it will be nice to have a hat and scarf that work well together. and i have a red coat that these will be great with! hooray for happy accidents.

i am really enjoying the Plymouth Happy Feet, and the hat is making me want to get more of this yarn for a pair of socks. the colors are great, and this stuff is very affordable!

after the yarn diet ends, maybe.

i am alos loving this cashmere. who wouldn't?

it was a tough decision what i woild make with it (it was a gift) but i finally decided it had to be the scarf because i wanted something that i would keep for a long time, and this baby won't go out of style any time soon.

unless global warming picks up pace.

i got a new laptop

i don't think i mentioned that. it is a very pretty MacBook, and look! it has camera right above the screen.

don't worry, i'm not going to bore you with my daily outfits or anything. but i have to say that more people need one of these things. after seeing this picture of myself, i have decided that the camera can be our friend. thanks camera, you gave me nearly angelina jolie-esque lips.

i mean.... strange, no?

anyway.
laptop = awesome.

lizard ridge #3

my third lizard ridge block is finished. this means that i have used up all the yarn that santa brought me for this project. but a little bird told me that cupid may be nice to me. that would be swell. who needs a "better" half? or even chocolate? there is always knitting.

(i will say, however, that i have alwasy had a soft sot for flowers. perhaps because i don't get many.)

in an unrelated but annoying note, the squirrels have invaded my attic again. have to see if the landlord gets back to me about it in a timely fashion this time.