The Scarlet Purlpernel

OMG, IM alive

2008-08-31T23:10:00.000-07:00

Hey, mostly posting to link a wow pic to a friend....no knitting to see here, but it is getting cooler, so Ill prolly pick it back up.

Run, Rage, Run!

OMG! they are out to get you

Catchup

2006-08-06T19:24:00.000-07:00

Wow, I suck at blogging. At least there's a lot to write about. Let's see, I made a dress for the fourth of July. It's the 2.0 version of that little Fiji dress from my last post.

I've worn it quite a bit.
Then I reconstructed a pair of jeans using a tutorial I found on Craftster.

Then I made a little wrap dress out of very cute quilters cotton. I can't seem to find a picture of the fabric anywhere so there's no I'll just have to wait until the camera gets new batteries.

I tried making a pretty fifties vintage dress, but I bought the wrong size pattern. It was too big! Fortunately I only cut out the lining. I was able to put a waistband on the skirt and wear it. To make it more interesting I sewed random swirly patterns on it with Chzimi thread. It shrinks when you steam it. That thread was so slippery. It made my machine spastic. I love the effect on the skirt though.

My latest project is Simplicity 4074, a knit wrap dress. I am using a heavy grey knit fabric. The only thing left to do is to hem it and tack the front facings and cuffs into place. I even bought some pretty black pumps to go with it. I can't wait for it to cool off so I can wear it.

My next major project will be a military style jacket made with royal blue embroidered silk. I'm using Simplicity 4129 view B The main change I am making is that I am actually cutting out tabs for the front instead of putting lace on the jacket simulating flaps, and I am putting cuffs on the sleeves. I am also using some contrast piping in the tabs and in the princess seams. I need to buy a few more things for it so I can't really start it for a couple more weeks. Maybe my next project will be a petticoat. I want one to go under my white skirt and another , either dress or skirt and jacket. I found a whole bolt of taupe netting at the thrift store.

Oh well, that's about it. I hope this post isn't too rambling. Hopefully I won't take so long to post next time.

fun in the sun

2006-06-29T11:54:00.000-07:00

I finished my sun dress yesturday. It turned out pretty well. I learned how to make slash pockets and shirring with elastic. I also edged something with double fold bias tape for the first time.

Next time I will reverse the angle of the pockets (it was a WTF moment). I did have to do a bit of last minute fitting including shortening the neckline and putting in darts from the armholes to the bust.

Anyway, he's a strangely unflattering picture. I had to use the timer and photography is not my strength.

Drafting!

2006-06-26T14:58:00.000-07:00

Erin of Dress a day and I seem to have similar taste. She found these ultra cute shirred dresses made from men's shirting. They're kind of expensive and they don't come in my size, but they look really easy to make.

I've drafted a pattern for it. It's 2 pieces plus pockets. There's a tutorial out there on how to make shirring out of skinny elastic. I'm going to use that instead of using elastic thread. The instructions for the pockets I found in an old BH&G sewing book. The only big change I made was making the skirt an A-line.

I want to buy some nice shirting for it, but for now I'm making it out of some nice fabric my grandma gave me. At least if it isn't right I'm not out alot of money.

Sew fun

2006-06-18T16:03:00.000-07:00

Long time, no see. I haven't been knitting much, but I did sew a dress. It's Mc Call's 5137 with a few small mods. I made it in a an 8 instead of the reccamended 16. I don't need 12 inches of ease! It's supposed to be a dress, not a tent. Since I did make it so much smaller, I had to install a zipper in the side. Finally, I made the bottom band of the dress skinnier. It fits like a dream and took 3 days to make. I even bit the bullet and handstitched the facings and hem. On to the pics...

Blue Moon. you saw me standing alone

2006-03-19T15:41:00.000-08:00

I've started the left front of sunrise. So far so good. My only worry is running out of yarn. I hope Big Lots has another ball hiding somewhere. I'll go back and check next time I'm near.

My sleeve has a growth! :P

Lil'uns party was a hit. We couldn't have asked for a nicer day. The kids thought the treasure hunt was the coolest thing and the cake was great. I ended up making real french buttercream for it. What's the recipie you ask...well here it is:

French Buttercream
12 oz sugar
4 egg yolks
8 oz butter, softened
1/2 tsp vanilla

1.Wet sugar in a heavy saucepan, taking care not to get any sugar on the sides of the pan. Put sugar over a med-high heat and bring to 240 degrees (115C).
2.Meanwhile beat egg yolks on med speed until very light and fluffy.
3.when the sugar reaches 240, pour it slowly into the egg mixture while the mixer is at a low speed. Take care to pour the sugar between the wall of the bowl and the whisk.
4.Mix at high speed until the mixture is room temperature.
5.Add butter one small piece at a time until all is mixed.
6 Add vanilla
* you may substitue 2-4 TBL of shortning for butter to make the icing more stable in warm weather.*
This icing will last 3-4 days at room temperature or 2 weeks in the fridge.

Livin' on Spongecake

2006-03-10T18:01:00.000-08:00

My nose works again, YAY! I also have the back of Sunrise done. I'm on the third increase of the left sleeve, although not much moe will get done anytime before Monday or so. I have too much other stuff to do. I've also promised myself that next week will be a sewing week.

The weather here is heaven. I wore a camisole, swishy cotton skirt and sandles today (oh joy :D). Hubby's going to think I've gone loopy; my toenails are painted. It's been years. I even put a flower in my hair today. Lil'un picked it for me out of the front yard. We have daffodills popping up everywhere.

The only thing left to buy for the party is ice cream. We decided at the last minute to hold it at the local park. I need to stake things out there tomorrow.

Hey Ho and up she rises

2006-03-04T20:26:00.000-08:00

I finally finished the invitations to Lil'un's birthday party. I ended up doing each one by hand, so there are quite a few designs. These three are my favorite...

I was going to do some major cleaning tonight, but a stuffy nose and a headache prevent it. I'm going to have to start serious cleaning tomorrow, or it'll never get done.

No knitting done, if I try with my head all stuffy I'll just screw it up and have to frog it. Sigh, colds suck. Goodnight.

Spacy Circles

2006-03-03T12:15:00.000-08:00

THe Sunrise circle jacket is going well. I'm up to the raglan decreases. Oh man, is that Lipomo Lame rough. I've taken to wearing bandaids on my fingers. After I get lil'uns birthday out of the way, I think I'm going to haul the sewing machine out of storage and make my MIL's blouse, fix Dad's shirt and make a lining for sunrise.

Lil'un is mostly better. Maybe now I can get some party prep done. I've done some line art for the invites. I need to ink, color and copy them. I think a trip to Kinko's is in order. The invitations need to be done by Sunday, so I can hand them out at church.

Oh, almost forgot, I found another neat project. It's spacy!

It needs resizing a bit, but that shouldn't be hard :)

Come on baby, light my fire

2006-03-01T17:09:00.000-08:00

Goodbye knitting slump. I have been in a major knitting slump since mid December. In fact, I have been in a major everything slump since then; but things are looking up. I am emerging from the winter of my discontent (I've always wanted to use that phrase); both spring and inspiration are just around the corner. I cast on for my first spring sweater today. It is the Sunrise Circle Jacket from Interweave Knits. I'm going to use the Lipomo Lame I found at Big Lots a couple months ago. I might even join the knit along.

I haven't been completely idle the last few months. I learned the turkish cast on and made a couple dice bags and I've been drawing a bit. See...

Lil'uns birthday is coming up. He's going to be 5. We're going to throw him a pirate themed party here at the house. Lots of cleaning, and planning and such needs doing. On top of that Lil'un is sick. The next week and a half is going to be very busy!

ETA: EEK my grammer! I probably didn't catch it all, but it's a bit better now.

A long December

2005-12-31T14:22:00.000-08:00

Long time, no post. December has been a bit stressful. I've had bill issues and long work hours to keep me distracted from blogging and knitting. I hope to update more often now.

Lil'un had a nice Christmas. He was thrilled over his leap pad, RC car and his robot. I got a new pair of boots, jeans, and a silver bullet blender.

I have been doing some knitting. I started another Gatsby shawl for my MIL, but she doesn't like the yarn (Rowan DK soft), so I am making it for me. It's soft and fuzzy and knits up nicely.

I am also making a sweater for hubby's grandma. It's going to have a cabled yoke and I'm going to cardiganize it...eventually.

I found some pretty tubular yarn at Big Lots the other day. 2.99 a skein. It's Schachenmayr Lipomo Lame. It's pretty and blue with a silver thread running through it.

I bought 1200 yds worth. I'm trying to figure out what to do with it. the gauge is 18sts/ 26 rows. I'm thinking about the Modeknit Corset top or giving the Adrienne Vittidini cardigan from last spring another try. Does anyone out there in blogland have any other ideas? The gauge is a bit small for W from knitty.

Don't get around much anymore...

2005-10-13T20:00:00.000-07:00

More pictures! I love wearing my new shawl. It was cool enough the last two days to wear it comfortably. Now the temprature is back up in the upper 70's. Notice when I finally got my camera out I was wearing something that clashed. I made it assymetrical (on purpose even). I also took a picture of the back. Notice the stiped facing.

Land of 10000 yarn ends.

2005-10-10T21:50:00.000-07:00

The Fair isle shawl is blocking. I even wove in all the ends; there had to be a couple hundred of them. I was able to stretch it to 46"x 23.5". Hopefully it doesn't spring back too much. All that's left is to sew the button on and bind the button hole. If it dries overnight, I think I'll wear it tomorrow. On with the pics

I need some sleep; time to put the old horse down.

2005-10-02T18:43:00.000-07:00

What is it with song lyrics and post titles? I need some sleep by the Eels is playing now. Monkey see, monkey do I guess. ;) Anyway I finished the top border and facing on the VK Fair Isle shawl. Now to pick up 270 odd stitches. :sigh: I tried it on today. It's a bit smaller than I thought it would be. I think I'll try and block it aggresively. My measurements are good; it's just meant to be small. If I could go back I would forgo the buttonhole and make a crochet loop instead. If I were a plus sized gal I would definatly add some stitches to the width.

Another word of warning to those who make this pattern: You will need more than 1 ball of black. I had to knit the facing in another color. It's not a big deal, but irritating. I also bought an additional ball of dark blue since I am using it on the border instead of the proscribed color. This pattern runs close on yarn in most colors. Anyway, on with the pictures:

Lookit short rows. I like the border colors :)

I joined the Colors of Autumn Knit along. If your interested in doing any sort of color work project, you ought to join us. The more the merrier!

Fair Isle update

2005-09-24T11:45:00.000-07:00

Here's the progress on my Fair isle shawl from the last VK. It's moving along pretty stedily. I'm about 2/3 of the way through the chart. I think I missed a few increases, but I can make them up ...I hope. I may gift out my other shawls, but this one is all mine. Stranding four colors in one line is a pain in the butt! It's a good thhing most of the shawl is no more thn three colors.

I cast on for my husband's grandmother's cardigan. There's not much to see. It's a seamless yoke sweater with garter stitch edging and I'm going to put a cable detail in the yoke. The most exciting thing about it is when I steek it.

Not much more to report... I'm ready for fall now. It's too hot for the end of September.

I sing the body electric...and try Fair Isle.

2005-09-17T18:33:00.000-07:00

That song has been stuck in my head for the past couple days. Ever notice my planned projects and my actual projects rarely coinside. Yeah, me neither. I just started the turkish shawl in VK. I'm using Smart Superwash in 10 different colors. So far so good. I'm not wild about the rows with upwards of four colors, but two or three colors at a time aren't too hard.

I have done some other knitting as well. I made Flora, from the latest Knitty. I used 1 ball of my SP Noro. Eventually, I'll make a matching hat. The scarf still needs to be lined and assembled. I don't like the feel of Noro on my neck, so I'll use some scrap polarfleece I have lying around. It turned out real well.

Here's some washclothes. I even put a crochet border on some of them. Yay me!

Sometime next week I'm going to cast on a sweater for Sam's grandmother. I'm going to use a pretty pattern I found in The Knitters Handy Sweater Patterns book. The yarn will be some claret colored Red Heart that was given to me. In the nursing home they scoff at washing directions. I'm going to cardiganize it with a steek. I've been practicing crochet steeks. I think I will use a crochet steek reinforced with the sewing machine. First I need her measurments.

I haven't blogged lately. Mostly I've been in a bit of a funk and simply not in the mood. I did get to the coast last Sunday. It's nice to actually see the area we're moving to. It seems really nice; I love the ocean. Maybe I can convince me and hubbys friend to teach me how to sail. I think this move will do us good.

Haiku done

2005-09-05T10:07:00.000-07:00

Finally finished

Haiku in a pretty red

Now for some booties.

Haiku, from Knitty, is made from Caron Simply Soft in Autumn Red. It took one and a quarter skeins. The buttons are wooden 7/8" from Walmart. Anyway, it was an easy, clearly written pattern and I highly reccamend it.

In other knitting news I'm still making washclothes. The TDR has stalled because I don't like knitting with that boucle. I may dye some wool soon so I can make the felted hat in Loop D Loop. I'm not sure of the next project yet.

Haikus and walking sticks

2005-08-31T17:10:00.000-07:00

Hello all, Haiku is coming along kind of slowly, mostly because it's kinda boring and too hot here. I just need to make sleeves. Here's my progress:

I also am working halfheartedly on a Top Down raglan (TDR). I'm using that jumbo skein of selfstriping boucle and YOs for the raglan seam. I may do something fancy on the sleeves with the left over Haiku yarn and I think I'll put some shaping at the center or something.

I think I figured out what to make one of my cousins for Christmas. It's from 05 Summer VK. I'm going to use some recycled hot pink chenille.

While cleaning my room I found an old walking stick I made from a sapling in the back field. I used a wood burner on it with a dogwood motif and initials.

A Haiku for you

2005-08-23T17:06:00.000-07:00

Soft yarn on needles

For a friendly little one

It should not take long

If you haven't guessed, I am making Haiku from Knitty. My boss is expecting a new baby, their fourth, and I wanted to make them something. I'll probably make a matching hat, too. I'm making it out of Caron Simply Soft in Autumn Red.

Check out this yarn I found. It's from JoAnns and the skein is huge, 853 yards. I took a picture of it next to my SP Noro. It's bulky weight and self striping. I'm going to make up a pattern for it.

Notice no sewing updates... *whistles innocently*

Medallion Cardigan finished

2005-08-16T18:22:00.000-07:00

It's Done! YAY! There is one problem in the pattern. On the sleeve cap it says to dec1 stitch EOR 6 times, then dec1 stitch every row 6 times. Bind of all stitches (11). It should read dec 1 stitch at each end of EOR 6 times,then decrease 1 stitch each end every row 6 times. Other than that it finished easily. I even have pictures:

I used four and a half skeins of LB Cotton Ease in popsical blue. I wish I could get more; it's an awesome color. The pattern is from Loop D Loop.

Enchilada's and seaming Woo Hoo!

2005-08-16T07:13:00.000-07:00

The never ending sleeves, ended. OK, so they weren't never ending, but they sure seemed that way. I am seeming them now. Next, I'll sew on the buttons and make the medallion. If I hurry I could be done tomorrow or the next day. Yay. Never mind that it is way too hot to even think about wearing a sweater.

Mom and Dad's church is having a craft sale in October. Mom asked me to make dishcloths. She likes the round ones I did earlier.

I made my enchiladas last night. I would love to learn how to make that burrito red onion sauce someday. That's my absolute favorite, but enchilada's (and Tamales) are a close second. This really isn't a fast recipie, but it's good.

Chicken Enchiladas
Sauce:
1T olive Oil
2clove garlic, minced
1t minced onion
1/2t oregano
1/4t cumin
1/4c salsa
1 1/4c water or chicken stock
2 1/2t chili powder
1/2t basil
1/8t pepper
1/8t salt
1t parsley
6oz tomato sauce
1 Saute garlic and onion in olive oil
2 Add all but water and bring to a boil
3 Add water and simmer for 20 min
filling:
1 lg chicken breast (I mean those big ginormous ones)
3/4t Lowrys seasoning sauce
3T enchilada sauce
1/2t onion powder (or minced onion)
1/4t cumin
boil and shred chicken (or use leftovers. It doesn't even have to be chicken) The seasonings above are mostly a suggestion. Use what you like. Thoese canned peppers in the red sauce (I can't remember their name) are very nice.

1 Put a bit of the sauce in the bottom of a 8x8 pan
2 Stean 6-7 tortillas in the microwave for baout 30 sec.
3 Fill tortillas with chicken and shredded cheese
4 Roll tortillas and place in pan.
5 Cover tortillas with enchilada sauce and plenty of cheese
6 Bake at 350 degrees for 20 min

Mufflers and Shao Mai, Oh my!

2005-08-12T21:17:00.000-07:00

We put a new muffler and pipes on the van today. It was $120, 48 of it was for the muffler. Pipes are expensive! It could have been worse, it could have been the cat. They're expensive *knock on wood*. It's step one to making the van legal again. On the bright side I knitted a couple of inches on the sleeves that won't end. They're at 14.5 inches, 3.5 more to go until I start the sleeve cap.

Tonight I made Shao Mai. They are little chinese pork dumplings. I make them in bulk and freeze them. That way I can just pull a few out of the freezer at a time and steam them. They are sooo good. Would you like the recipie? Sure you would...

Shao Mai
1lb ground pork
1T soy sauce
1T rice wine vinegar
1T seseme oil
1/2t garlic, minced
1T scallion, chopped
2t sugar
1t ginger, grated
2T cornstarch
1t coarse salt
1/2t blk pepper, ground
30 small wonton wrappers

1. Mix all ingredients except wrappers
2. place 1T pork in the middle of wrapper, wet edges of wrapper with a corn starch water mixture, and fold over sealing edges tightly.
3. Place dumplings 1/4" apart in a bamboo steamer lined with wet cheesecloth
4. Put steamer over a pot full of boiling water
5. Cook 20 min, swithing layers after 10 minutes.
Serve with dumpling sauce

Dumpling Sauce
1/4c soy sauce Note: I prefer to use tempura sauce and omit the sugar
1t sugar
1T rice wine vinegar
1/4c water
chopped scallions for garnish

I hope you enjoy them. Tomorrow I'll make Chicken Enchilladas Mmmmmm

sleeves are boring

2005-08-11T15:40:00.000-07:00

I'm 11" along on the sleeves of my Medallion cardi. *cue whiney voice* Soooo boring. I need 7 more inches before I can shape the sleeve cap.

Every other project I can think of looks really good right now. But I must finish, if I stop I might never pick it up again and that would be a shame.

The next project is going to be a haiku made out of Autumn Red Caron Simply Soft. No twee pastels for me. It's for my boss' new baby, due in January. Pretty, pretty yarn

I'll probably also make some booties or socks and a hat.

I found a new (to me anyway) yarn in pretty, pretty colorways. It's a brown sheep yarn called Wildfoote. I have one skein of bluegrass colorway that I will combine with some leftover green I have to make some half finger gloves. Sometime...eventually. I also scoped out the color selection at Great Yarns for the Turkish shawl in VK. I need 10 colors in sport weight! The frontrunner so far is Smart Superwash. I'd have bought them today, if I'd have actually had money. *shrug*

Geek Code

2005-08-10T21:45:00.000-07:00

-----BEGIN KNITTER'S GEEK CODE BLOCK-----

Version:1.1

KCR++(+++) Exp+>++ SPM++ Steel+ Wood@ Bam Pl- Cas? AddiT>++ Den? Boye? Syn Nov- Cot+ Wool++ Lux+ Hemp? Stash++ Scale++ Fin Ent? FI Int- Tex++ Lace++ Felt+ Flat- Circ++ DPN(+)() ML(+) Swatch++(+++) KIP++ Blog++ SNB EZ-() FO+ WIP(-) Gauge@ L F+ S+ DK+ W++ B ALT(sewing)

------END KNITTER'S GEEK CODE BLOCK------

That is all...

New Vogue Knits

2005-08-09T08:37:00.000-07:00

I found the new Vogue at the Borders the other day. One word, Gorgeous.
I love the eyelet top, Anne Modesitt's round jacket, the colorful shawl, the stripey cardi, the men's fair isle pullover, the basketweave and ribbed vest, the cape from the ad section, and the fuzzy, pink hoodie . I also can see mom wearing the shawl collard, belted cardigan. Maybe I'll make her one for Christmas. He skirt is pretty, but I don't think knitted skirts are a good idea, even if they are Koigu. The yellow cardigan is nice too, but I'd rather just do a shorter version of the Cabled Riding jacket in LDL. The cables on it are way cooler.

It's a real breath of freash air after the last couple lackluster knitting mags I have seen. Even Interweave's fall issue was mostly a dissapointment. Now, all I need is more time and money... *looks around hopefully*

washcloths

2005-08-05T17:57:00.000-07:00

I finished the body of Medallion Cardi. It's even stitched up and the ends are woven in. I will start on the sleeves after I cut out my MIL's blouse pattern. Ugh. I am so not in the mood to sew. It's so tedious and I can't take it with me. Oh well, I promised.

I shipped my SP's last package out today I made her some washcloths. Very cute. Here's the pattern. One ball of Sugan and Cream will make like 2.25 cloths.

We might be moving in the next 6-12 months. Hubby has been offered a job near Belhven on the coast. Unless plans change, he is to handle water treatment for a new community. It's all very exciting. It will mean a big raise in pay; I wish it were possible to move money back through time. Sigh, it would really help :/ Oh well, it's something to look forward to; a bend in the road, as Anne Shirley put it.

Wocher wolvie

2005-08-02T21:37:00.000-07:00

Had an HP art moment

It's not my best work, but it was fun. Oh well, practice, practice, practice.

The Holey cardi

2005-08-02T17:04:00.000-07:00

I finished the hole in the back of the Dreamcatcher Medallion Cardi. I am just so pleased. check it out.

I really like Cotton Ease. It is knitting up so well and my abused swatch still looks good. Now if we can just get LB to not discontinue it and come out with better colors. I did write them about it; maybe if enough people complain they'll change their minds. There's always hope.

Here's one of the front bits, complete with button band and about 3/4 of the neck shaping complete.

I should finish the bodice by tomorrow and then I can start the sleeves. I think I'll knit them both at once. Having 4 balls tied to my work at once makes only 2 seem easy. Ciao

There's a hole in the bottom of the sea

2005-07-31T20:23:00.000-07:00

I love it when projects are more fun than you think they will be. Medallion cardi has been like that. There's enough in it to hold my attention, but not so much that I have to keep looking at the pattern evey few minutes. It's chugging right along. The giant hole in the back helps speed things up. Fewer stitches and such.

Check out the awesome stitch markers from my SP. I've used them before now, but that's the first actual photo of them in action.

Here's a closup of the front dart and a side increase. There's also the buttonhole band. Yes, the holes are there.

It's no longer hot here, only wet. I think wet is better. Hopefully, the cool weather will last.

A fickle, fickle knitter am I

2005-07-29T17:13:00.000-07:00

The Spider web shawl has been put on hold for just a bit. The haet and the teeny tiny yarn is driving me crazy! So I made my MIL's cousin, Julie's, shawl. It's made from four balls of Meunch Oceana and this pattern. I hope she likes it.

It's draped over my favorite chair along with my cat, DAC.

I made a side trip to Tuesday Morning the other day and lo and behold there was Cotton Ease. I bought two bags of three for 5.99 apiece. I'm making the Medallion Cardi from Loop D Loop. I was able to get close to gauge, so I am making it a size smaller than normal.

Here's a better picture of the color, Popsical Blue.

I guess I ought to comment on Harry Potter. I'll do it in fangurlese:
OMG!!!!!1!! OTP Pince/ Filtch Theirluv is soo crotchety!! Mollywobbles XD!!!11!!!

Wow, that's all out of my system now. Good book BTW.

The Miracle of Blocking, clearly illustrated

2005-07-24T20:27:00.000-07:00

I just finished swatching for the Spiderweb Shawl. Instead of worsted weight, I am using some lace weight, so I swatch and block carefully. Here's the unblocked amorphus blob:
Excuse the lousy photography, but it wasn't much to see anyway.

Now check out the nice, big, square blocked version.

It ends up being 5sts/7.25rows per inch. Not bad. Now I just need to figure out hwo big I want it.

1 FO and 2 new projects!

2005-07-24T17:10:00.000-07:00

I finished Lil'uns sweater last night. He's absolutly delighted. Unfortunatly, he can't wear it until it cools off. Here he is modeling it for me:

It's made with 3 skeins TLC Cotton Plus in the Jazz colorway. I used The Handy Book of Sweater Patterns and just threw in two seed stitch stripes. All in all I am pleased with it, but the next sweater I make for him will be seamless, because sewing seams suck. :P

I've started swatching for the Modeknit Corset Top I'm using Classic Elite Premier, a cotton/ tencel blend. It's not cooperating, so I'm going to have to tweak the gauge a bit. I think I can just get away with going up a size. Here's the yarn in all its glory:

Finally, I'm starting another shawl. This one may go to my MIL, if she likes it. It's called the Spider Web Shawl and can be found here. I have 3 skeins of Alpaca Cloud in the Tide Pool colorway. That ought to be enough. If it isn't I can make the border a different color.

I'll swatch it tonight and see where it gets me. Hopefully it does better than the Corset top.

Hello, again

2005-07-20T08:38:00.000-07:00

Whew, we've been busy around here. I've finally found some time to get online.

My secret pal sent me some neat stuff. She sent some pretty pink mohair, some stretchy sock yarn, Mary Englebert buttons, a set of bamboo #4 DPNs, and some point protectors. My picture is kinda bad, so I'll replace it with a better one when I get a chance.

I have been getting some knitting done. Here's FMB#2. It's made out of the dye your own Wool of the Andes. Two full skeins were barely enough. It's a little floppy, so I may throw it back in the wash a bit longer.

I'm in the middle of seaming LIl'uns sweater. Next one, I swear, will be seamless. I keep forgeting how much I hate seaming. :P It's made out of 3 skeins of TLC Cotton Plus. It's very soft. He can't wait to wear it.

My MIL's cousin wanted my MIL to make her a comfy shawl. She sent 300 yds of this yarn:

It's neither comfy, nor nearly enough, but she got a good deal on it. Only $3/ ball.

SP fun

2005-07-08T17:39:00.000-07:00

I found this in my mailbox today:

How chic!

Wonderful SP

2005-07-07T18:18:00.000-07:00

My delightful SP has sent me the Rogue and celtic cap patterns. She is also sending me something through the mail. I can't wait to see what it is! My next project just might be the celtic cap.

Things have been pretty unsettled around here. Money has been tight and some neglected bills are coming back to bite us. Hubby is not the best at money ,so I have been put solely in charge of finances. Ugh! It won't be so bad if I can dig us out. Hubby is on an allowance for the moment and no yarn buying for me. Thank goodness I have a stash. On top of that there is a chance that hubby will be offered a new job in he next year. It will be in Belhaven NC, aka middle of nowhere. But the pay will be a good bit higher, the cost of living lower, and a place to stay may be included. I wouldn't mind getting out of this house; it gets me down sometimes. It's hard to heat and cool and it never looks clean (even when it is). MIL has been driving me up the wall with worry. I don't blame her, but it drives me crazy, nonetheless. Oh well, enough kvetching.

Not too much going on on the knitting front. I finished FMB #2 It's bigger, but really needs to be felted a bit more. I'll send it through again eventually. I started a sweater for lil'un out of some stash Cotton Plus in the Jazz colorway. I'm using the Handy Guide of Sweater Patterns and am adding my own design to it. I'll post it when I'm done. Next, I think I'll finally bite the bullet and finish Neo.

I'm having a major yard sale on Sat July 16th. No yarn, but I will be parting with some fabric, baby clothes, maternity clothes, furniture, old stuff (I live in an old house) a bread machine, clothes, and a lot more. If you're in the Raleigh NC area drop me a line and I'll give directions. I'll bake brownies :)

BTW, I want to give Knitdamsel a mention. She finished her VK shawl and it looks great. Go take a look. There's a convenient link on my sidebar.

VK shawl pictures

2005-07-01T15:57:00.000-07:00

Here are some nice pictures of the VK Knit and crochet shawl from the Vogue 05 spring/summer magasine. I made it out of 1200 yds of Smart Superwash in a discontinued milk chocolate color. Since it is DK weight, I doubled it throughout. BTW, I noticed some minor errata on Vogue's site. Not bad for my first piece of crochet. The lovely model is my mom. Hi, Mom!

VK shawl done (mostly)

2005-06-29T21:30:00.000-07:00

I finished the crocheting on the VK knit and crochet shawl. Man, that crochet sure does eat up the yarn. I have just enough left to tassel it. Tomorrow I shop for a button, finish the tassels, and work in all the ends. I'll try to get some pictures in the next couple days.

All in all, knitting is still way more fun (and cheaper) than crochet, but I think I'll start doing the occaisional crochet hat. Also I have my eye on The Open Fan Cardigan, if I can get my hands on 4 skeins of Rowan Big Wool.

Lil'un and I went to the art museum this morning. He was suitibly impressed with the Egyptian exhibit. The first thing he sid was "zombie case, mommy!" Too many episode of Scooby Doo, I think. When I told him they were mummys, not zombies, he wanted to know if they were mommy mummys or daddy mummys. That made me smile.

THe museum has a trail running behind it with outdoor exhibits (and wild blackberries) We spent most of the morning exploring it and having "ventures" I highly reccamend it to anyone visiting Raleigh.

Yet more blocking...aka I'm not patient

2005-06-28T08:14:00.000-07:00

I blocked the VK Knit and Crochet shawl last night, but it's still wet. The crochet bit can't be done until it is dry. I tried pulling it off early, but it tried to pop back to its old shape. Oh well, the FMB needs to be done.

Gatsby blocked beautifully. It is the perfect size and shape. I may make another one sometime.

Not much more to say...Do you want to see a picture of the smokehouse? Sure you do...

Gatsby pics and my WIP shawl.

2005-06-27T08:00:00.000-07:00

I finally blocked gatsby and took some pictures. Here it is mid block. I'm thinking of keeping the points.

Here are some closeups. I ended up blocking it upside down.

Now that it is blocked and actually a semi circle I am quite pleased with it. I was a bit woried. I guess it's true what they say about lace knitting and blocking: It's like magic.

Here's my VK knit and crochet shawl. I'm nine rows from the end of the knit half. Hopefully it will be blocking tonight.

Knit Crochet Shawl update!

2005-06-26T17:12:00.000-07:00

I'm on line 42 of 57 of the chart on my shawl. With any luck it will be ready to block tomorrow, and boy does it need it. The middle of the lace pattern draws up and pulls the whole thing out of shape. Fortunatly, I'm making it out of wool, so blocking will be no problem. Knitdamsel is also making this shawl. It's neat seeing someone elses progress, kinda like a mini KAL.

I'm going to try to get an early start tomorrow so I can get to my parents, take pictures, and block my Gatsby shawl. They have room so I can block it on the carpet. But I need to get to the dump first. Call me crazy, but the dump is neat. Sometimes you find eally good stuff. I found a nice tricycle there once and a coffee table.

Oh, anyone want to buy a car, cheap. It's an 85' Chevette. It runs, but there is a glitch in the electrical system. It keeps having these power surges; the headlights blew out and the radio kinda caught fire. It also has some minor body damage. We're only looking for a couple hundred bucks. It'd make a good parts car.

Gatsby is Done!

2005-06-23T08:52:00.000-07:00

I just finished the edging to Gatsby. I'll block it and take some pictures next time I'm at my parent's house. Thank goodness it's done. I couldn't start a new project until that one was finished. If I can get gauge with something in my stash, my next project will be the knit and crochet shawl from the latest Vogue Knitting. I've had my eye on it for awhile, but couldn't crochet.

I have some Smart Superwash in milk chocolate brown I could try doubling. It was going to be Myrna, but would not meet gauge.

Lil'un is sick with a cold. Poor lil'un.

SP goodness and pictures galore

2005-06-21T14:11:00.000-07:00

My Secret Pal sent me a wonderful package.

She sent me some yummy Noro, a bunch of awesome stitch markers, some cute ladybug and safari animal buttons, a sparkly princess journal and some sparkly body powder. Here's a somewhat better picture of the Noro:

I have such a nice SP. Thank You!!!

Here's my recent FO's. I'm gearing up for Christmas presents, if you can't tell.
First up is a New York Yarns Wild Thing scarf. It's the flamingo colorway and I added a dk. green fingering weight yarn.

Next I have the Knitty heart scarf made of Jager Chamonix. Unfortionatly, they have discontinued Chamonix, it's super soft.

lace cap from Midnight Knitters pattern. I just need to crochet a flower.

Ballet top from Loop D Loop. It only took one day to make. The only change I made was a round of single crochet along the bottom to minimize curling. Awesome pattern; I am definatly making some for Christmas presents.

UFO's
I'm making the front border on Gatsby. Here it is freshly off the needles.

I'm also making another French Market Bag. It's made from some dyed Wool of the Andes. This time it's going to be deeper.

Finally I'm making Angelina from some hollyberry Merino Style. Not much to see, but:

Baby's first crochet

2005-06-20T14:50:00.000-07:00

I did it! I have defeated the monster that is crochet. Look, a swatch that did not end in tears:
OK, so it's not square, per se. But I'm getting there. The cast on is just a bit tight. New doors have just opened. I don't even realize all my options yet. Yay!

Thank you Secret Pal! I'll post pictures and descriptions tomorrow, when I develop my pics. You are awesome!

hooks, dyes, and needles Oh My!

2005-06-20T11:17:00.000-07:00

Loop D Loop came in a couple days ago. I promptly made the ballerina top from it. Pictures will be up tomorrow. It's made from LB Kool Wool in the khaki color, which is actually more of an olive drab. I made it in one day and had no trouble getting gauge on sz 13's. I learned how to do a single crochet along the bottom hem. Yay! (Thanks, MIL) This may be the start of an all new obsession. I'll do the kids version of this top for the girls for Christmas.

Along with the book came 4 skeins of undyed Wool of the Andes. I am going to make another FMB with two of them. I dyed them this morning and they are drying now. When I develop my film, I'll post pictures. The other two skeins might end up as the brimmed hat from Loop D Loop

I'm about 1/3 of the way through the edging of Gatsby. It's very boring...yawn.

Anticipation. oh, yeah.

2005-06-16T08:02:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to be zen like and wait patiently, but I can't. The wait is driving me loony. I have a SP package, Loop D Loop, and four skeins of undyed Wool of the Andes on the way. I was sure the SP package would be here by now. Of course, who knows where it's coming from. To pass the time I went out to Shuttles Needles and Hooks in Cary. I have never seen so much yarn crammed in so small a space. I could have spent hours; it overwelmed me. It was like someones stash gone horribly arye ;). They even had huge hanks of the Henry's Attic yarns. The only complaint I have is that none of the skeins were priced. I think my next big yarn purchase will either be some Mystical Creations Rayon/ Cotton/ Wool mix in one of these colorways I want it for the Corset Pullover

My other option is some Wool of the Andes for the Cabled Riding Jacket in Loop D Loop. I'm thinking about Winternight or Spruce.

I sent off my next SP gift. I hope she likes it!

I have not been completely idle in actual knitting while waiting. I've knit the first five inches of Angelina. I'm using Merino Style in Hollyberry. It knit to gauge on size 2's and is very soft. It's also slow going K2 P2 ribbing is dull. I don't need to have it done until it gets cool and that's...mid October.

Oh, found the instructions to Gatsby. It'll get finished in the next couple days. I'll be glad to have it done.

Lil'un is going to VBS this week. He's having a great time. I'm thinking of changing my church membership there. Bayleaf is nice, but very big. It's easy to get lost in the crowd and this church seems small and friendly.

taken for a loop

2005-06-11T09:16:00.000-07:00

I finally got my hot, little hands on a copy of Loop D Loop, by Teva Durham. Let me tell you, I'm normally not impressed with knitting books, but this one blew me away. I saw several techniques and a few projects I would like to try. The assymetrical fairisle, The medallian cardi, The princess seamed cardi, the lace leaf pullover, the ballerina top, and the basketweave yoked top just to name a few. It took all my willpower not to buy the book right then. It's top on my wist list.

On the knitting front, I cast off Gatsby. All it needs is the front band, now if I could just find the instructions... Oh well, if they don't turn up I'll improvise. Mostly, I just need a break from it. I'll post some pictures soon.

The past couple days, I've been making super quick Christmas projects, a skinny scarf with a big tassle on each end out of Wild Thing in flamingo and Rowan botany 4 ply in dark green and a lace cap out of burgandy LB thick and quick. Isn't instant gratification great?

ETA: I ordered Loop D Loop and 4 skeins of natural Wool of the Andes from Knit Picks. Happy Mother's Day to me! There is enough Cool Wool in my stash to make the Balerina Top, assuming I can meet gague. I also think Wool of the Andes could work in the cabled riding jacket. That would cost me about $28. I'm so excited!

Planes, Trains and Automobiles...Er Planes anyway

2005-06-05T12:45:00.000-07:00

Hubby, Lil'un and I went to a fly in yesterday in Knightdale. One of our friends, BD, and his dad, MD, both have small aircraft and were airbossing (that is a verb, right?)the fly in, so they invited us. We got to fly in MD's plane; I think it's a cherokee or something. It was so FUN! It was kinda like a rollercoaster, but I don't like rollercoasters, but for some reason I liked doing this.

Lil'un had a blast. He was so excited to fly and there were a bunch of kids there. Most of the time he played nicely with the others. Hubby, BD, another friend of BD whose name I didn't catch, and I spent most of the time watching the planes take off and land. There was even a heliocopter. We left not long after the band showed up. We were all pretty tierd (I was burned, Ouch!)and wanted to pick up steaks, and corn on the cob for supper. Nothing beats grilled corn(Yum).

Not much knitting to report. I'm slogging through the feather and fan section of the shawl. I need another project, but I'm just not inspired right now. All I know is that it can't be green. You ever feel like you need to get out of a rut...

On a brighter note, I sign up for classes for my first semester back to school on the 29th. It's so exciting and nerveracking. It's been so long since I've been in a classroom. I hope I'm up to it. Two of the classes I need to take can be done over the web. That way I only have to go down to the college twice a week.

Bored

2005-06-03T21:03:00.000-07:00

Solid proof that I am bored and can't draw with a mouse:

That is all.

ETA: Please note that she is knitting the latest in knitting fads, invisible yarn. Talk about not being able to see your stitches. ;)

Mystery Yarn

2005-06-03T16:27:00.000-07:00

Does anyone know anything about this yarn? It's a thrift store find.

French market bag

2005-06-02T07:00:00.000-07:00

I finally have new pictures of my FMB and the Gatsby Shawl.

I really liked the FMB pattern and it worked up fast. I will definatly make another one. It did felt a bit short. Next time I'll make it longer. I ended up loving the colors. They're both yarns I dyed from easter egg dye. I'm calling this colorway (Yes, I'm naming it we'll pretend I'm not being a bit silly)Myrtle Beach Madness. Anyway, here it is:

Ah, progress on Gatsby. I'm done with section number two and on to number three. I have several inches of feather and fan ahead of me.

I'm Baaack

2005-05-28T10:21:00.000-07:00

The beach was great. I taught my cousin to knit (but not cast off, oops!) and had plenty of time to knit, myself. I finished the FMB using the easter egg dye yarn I made last month. I't about an inch shorter than it's supposed to be, so the next one I make will be deeper. It turned out really well and only took 4 days to make. I'll try getting pictures up tomorrow. The middle section of Gatsby is almost done too. I have 7 rows of starlight pattern left and then I can start on the feather and fan section.

Farewell, so long...

2005-05-20T14:42:00.000-07:00

Auf Wiedersehen, goodbye! It's off to the beach for me until Friday. We may or may not have any sort of internet access, so fear not I will return. Adios, Ciao, Aloha, Hasta la Vista, and Adiosu until then.

Great Gatsby progress

2005-05-19T19:20:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to me! Mom, Dad, Lil'un and I went to Macaroni Grill tonight. It was fun. I was sung to and ate hot fudge cake. Hubby had to work, but he'll be off all next week.

I've had some progress with Gatsby. I'm not putting all my energy into it because we're all getting ready for the big beach trip. I'm about a third of the way through the middle section. Here's some pics.

ETA: I'm a...

Which flock do you follow?

this quiz was made by alanna

Lessons Learned

2005-05-18T16:42:00.000-07:00

Do you ever notice that the best projects teach you something? Today, I learned not to leave my child alone in a room with slime. Slime is a semi sticky toy that farts when you push on it. It also sticks in hair like bubblegum. Fortunately, unlike bubblegum, it comes out with soap and water. Ok, that's not a project, but I did learn something. I'm leading up to learning stuff from knitting projects.

Project: LB Homespun and Funfur capelet
Lesson: Learn how to bind off properly. It was bound off so tightly I couldn't get it over my head. It ended up going to my boss' daughter, who loves it.

Project: Mariah
Lesson: GAUGE Live it. Love it. Remeasure it. Mariah was huge and kinda lumpy. :sigh: That one hurt. Also, zippers are EVIL. That is all.

Project: AV Cardi.
Lesson: Never, I repeat never, replace a cotton blend with all non-mercurized all cotton. Remember, cotton garments are subject to droop. Also, learn how to spot your place in a lace pattern by sight.

Project: VK Cardi
Lesson: For goodness sakes, learn how to seam. Please.

Project: Gatsby
Lesson: A stitch in time saves nine. In other words, a small frog now can prevent a large frog later. Be vigilant.

Maybe someday, with enough practice, I'll be an awesome knitter.

I've decided today that I need a French Market Bag. My current knitting bag looks like I picked it up out of the tacky dumpster. I even already have enough wool. I think I'll take that, Neo ,and Gatsby to the beach.

ETA: Knitty Suprise! None for me though. Trellis is adorable and I wish I had had Peek a boob back when I was nursing. It's probably a good thing. I have enough on my plate as is.

Picture Extravaganza

2005-05-15T12:35:00.000-07:00

I finally got around to taking some pictures. Here are some pictures of the VK cardi. I just love wearing it. it's nice, but a bit slouchy and casual. It will be perfect at the beach. Hey bonus appearence of Lil'un in a couple of these.

here's my current WIP. It's the very begining of Gatsby. The fingering weight yarn takes a little getting used to. The darker picture is a more accurate color. You can also see the tweed I am doing the next section.

Done!

2005-05-13T17:25:00.000-07:00

The VK cardi is officially done. I even worked in all the ends. Except for some questionable seaming, it is perfect. I was going to wear it to work tomorrow, but I've been given the day off. Oh well, I'll just have to find somewhere to wear it before the day gets to warm. I'll have to borrow the camera from dad tomorrow and post some pics. I used seven skeins of TLC cotton Plus on sizes 5 and 6 needles and, unlike many Vogue patterns, there seems to be no problem with the pattern.

I need a quick project before I start Gatsby or Neo. I think the girls shrugs will do nicely. I'll at least do one of them. I think I'll make the free ribbed shrug from IK summer 05' for one girl and A Good Bias from spring IK 05' for the other one. The ribbed shrug will be in Caron Simply Soft in Paisley Print. I'm not sure about the Bias one. I'm thinking about either the left over Cotton Plus or maybe some pink I picked up at the thrift store. I also have that silver microspun. It depends on how much yarn it takes.

EDIT: Here's a scan of the ribbed shrug swatch. The colors aren't very accurate. Think strong jewel tone.

In the home stretch

2005-05-10T13:22:00.000-07:00

I'm on the last sleeve of my Vogue Cardi. I'll be done and ready for pictures in just a couple of days. So far I am happier with this project, than with anything else I have made thusfar.

Mother's day was nice. Lil'un and I took a nice walk in the neighborhood, but otherwise we mostly just stuck around here. I got a pair of knitting earrings and a twenty-five dollar gift certificate to Knit Picks. I'm not sure what to get. I may just wait a bit and see if they come out with any new yarns. I have enough yarn in my stash to keep me busy for quite a while.

Strawberries are in! I picked 5 qts the other day and they are delicious. I need to pick some more for jam. There's nothing quite like the taste of fresh picked strawberries still warm from the sun.

I made some awesome enchiladas the other day. I whipped up some homeade red sauce and shredded some chicken and cheddar. I think on my day to cook at the beach I'll make mexican food. It'll be a nice change of pace.

bleh

2005-05-06T20:49:00.000-07:00

The best thing about this week is that it is almost over. Ever have a week where everything is against you. I run errands and it takes twice as long and to top it off I run into attitude. GIVE ME A BREAK! I was so wound up about it yesterday I couldn't knit. Even Lil'un has been whiny and talking back. I had to send him to bed early tonight because of it. I'm just so dog tired.

I did finish the back and am about 6.5" up the first sleeve of VK cardi. Strait stockinette sucks and I am in no mood. :P

Next project will definitely be Gatsby broken up by finishing Neo. I really ought to press on with Neo.

Obsessed

2005-05-02T22:41:00.000-07:00

I found Dale Freestyle in both deep red and cream on sale at Webs for 3.30/sk. That would be $63 plus shipping for the corset top. It's superwash too.

I could use Andean Silk. It would cost around $59 and comes in cream and barn red. I'm not sure about the red shade. It also isn't washable.

Then again I could use Cotton Plus. It would be $32.50 and washable. They have a nice red, although I wish it were a bit darker.

Why am I even thinking about this? I'm not even starting this project for a few more months. Sigh...I have a feeling that this is where my Birthday money will go.

If anyone knows a nice, cheap washable yarn with a gauge of 19.5 st/27row per 4" please let me know.

Love at first sight...again

2005-05-01T18:01:00.000-07:00

It happened again. Another pattern grabbed me from behind and accosted me. You...Will..Make...Me...and abuse ellipses while you're at it. I can't make it until after I make the Gatsby shawl, the girls' shrugs, Neo and a few other things I can't think of right now, but I want it to be a winter sweater anyway. Here it is:

The pattern is here.

I'll make it a few inches longer with longer sleeves in merino or soft alpaca. I could also do without the buckles on the side. I'd love it in either ivory or intense red.

Front Finished and Sping Cleaning

2005-05-01T14:01:00.000-07:00

Turn up the music and break out the Margaritas; I finished the front of VK hoodie. Woohoo! It takes so little to excite me sometimes. I'll get pictures next time I can get ahold of a camera. I cast on the back and will hopefully finish it in a couple of days. Not the week and a half the front took. I picked up yet another ball of yarn for it because the front took every bit of three balls and I just had 8 balls total. That and I'm paranoid. So far so good.

My Uncle finally sent me the girls measurments for shrugs. It only took a couple weeks :P . I think I'll use Caron Simply Soft in Paisley Print that I already have in my stash. Now to come up with a pattern... They are going to be Christmas presents. I hope the girls like them.

In other than knitting news, we are spring cleaning. Hubby, Lil'un, and I burned yard waste and started filling the horrible holes in the back yard. We got a new septic tank and drain field a while back and the fella who installed it never came back to fill in the sink holes (Grumble Grumble). Anyway, Mr B, a friend of ours, came by and heped out as well and we had a nice day of it. Lil'un even had his little shovel and wheelbarrow out and helped shift gravel. Very cute!

Today is laundry and computer room cleaning day. We're just taking a bit of abreak now.

Oh, almost forgot, I've started my SP shopping. I have so many neat ideas. I only hope she likes them.

Future projects and stuff

2005-04-26T17:10:00.000-07:00

I don't have much to update. I'm just slogging through the front of VK hoodie. Next I'll be slogging through the back. Everything else is on hold since this project has a deadline. It will be done for the beach come hell or highwater.

THe KNit Picks Alpaca Cloud is calling out to me from my stash. I'm looking at the Great Gatsby shawl. Then again I have some Rowan 4 ply tweed and 4 ply botany in greens that would look lovely in the gatsby shawl. Maybe I ought to make the Alpaca into Kiri. I also like the Flower basket shawl, but don't own the pattern. I do have the paisley shawl pattern, though. So many choices...

Knit Picks has new yarns. I saw dancing and immediately thought of Lolita Legs. It would have to be doubled as the pattern calls for sport weight and Dancing is a fingering. I would like some shimmer. Maybe for soleil or whatever. They had a pretty pink and light blue.

Mothers day is coming up and I have no idea what to get mom. She doesn't wear scarves. I think she might like Via Diagonale, but I don't have any appropriate yarn and I don't have much time. She also works with handbags and owns a bunch of them. Hmmm. I don't know. Maybe I'll find a nice gospel or bluegrass CD or something.

Ann's (MIL) legs have been bothering her more than usual lately. Thankfully, she has a doctors apointment in May. She's also been falling asleep at the table. Which is both worrying and annoying (in that order). Part of it is due to her meds. I do wish if she is going to fall asleep she wouldn't do it in front of the fridge. I'll rest a bit easier after the doc has her say.

SP news

2005-04-24T17:01:00.000-07:00

My Knitty SP made me an avatar. She used one of my pictures on DA, the invisble girl one, so it's really fitting. :)
Here 'tis:

Thank you mysterious person!

VK hoodie update

2005-04-22T19:33:00.000-07:00

I've been cracking on with the VK hoodie. The front is about half way done. I went to AC Moore to pick up the rest of the yarn for it. Yeah, I know, buy enough for your project, but I bought it while looking at soleil. This hoodie hit me out of nowhere. The good news is they had the same dye lot. I guess Cotton Plus isn't that popular.

While I'm on the subject of this yarn I just have to say, this stuff is nice. It's reasonably soft and has a slight sheen. It doesnt split much, has awesome stitch definition, and drapes beatifully. It's also machine washable and cheap. Only 3.25 for a 180 yd skein. I hope they come out with more colors.

Oh and here's some of what I have done. It's, obviously, the lacey bit at the front.

VK hoodie fun

2005-04-19T08:16:00.000-07:00

I started the VK hoodie last night. I'm using TLC cotton plus in kiwi. It has a twist in it with a bit of sheen and knit up to gauge on the first try. It's meant to be I tell ya. The pattern is quite challenging. The lace edge is worked over 34 stiches and has a 32 row repeat. I may end up putting it in chart form. I adore the construction. The entire front and hood is done in one piece. To change from hood to front and from one side to the other the stockinette sts are bound off and then cast back on on the other side of the lace. It was so unique I just had to make it.

I finished the heart scarf yesturday. It just needs to be blocked. I'll wash and block it right before I wrap it this fall. I want to make sure any of the smoky smell that permiates the house is not in the scarf. I'll try to take a picture of it sometime.

Scarves and hoodies Oh My!

2005-04-18T06:57:00.000-07:00

I am in love! I picked up the Spring '05 Vogue Knitting mag last night and found this.

It's calling me. Dana.....Dana....knit me....you know you want to. I'm thinking of doing it in TLC Cotton Plus. You know, if I hurry I can have it done in time for the beach.

Neo has been on hold for a couple days. I needed a quick project fix, so I am making the heart scarf from Knitty's breast canser issue. It's knitting up nicely in the dusty rose chamonix I bought the other day. It's half way done and if I press on I can finish it today.

Lil un and I are over our colds, but he kept throwing up yesturday so I am keeping him close to home. We'll probably go out and play a bit later. It's supposed to be quite warm today.

100 things about me

2005-04-16T19:14:00.000-07:00

I've seen lots of these around and since no blog is complete without one; here it is... (drumroll)... (trumpet fanfare)...(marching band)...

100 Things about me
1. I tend to abuse ellipses :ba dum bum:
2. I use puns way too often.
3. I dip my M&M's in peanut butter.
4. I married my HS sweetheart
5. I used to decorate cakes
6. I like the Harry Potter books
7. OK, I'm a wee bit obsessed over the Harry Potter books
8. I'm currently listening to The Dark Tower series
9. I think Russel Crowe was so sexy in Master and Commander.
10. I also liked the Aubrey/ Maturin books
11. Lace knitting is awesome.
12. My four year old has way more energy than me
13. I'm not a very good hosekeeper
14. My Christmas Tree is still up
15. I'm not a very good housekeeper either
16. I can sew but don't because I don't like ironing.
17. I'm excited about going back to school this fall
18. My favorite fruit is blackberries
19. My least favorite fruit is banana's
20. I like spinich
21. I really like my Prismacolor markers
22. Chicago is my favorite musical
23. Richard Gere has an amazing singing voice
24. My favorite comic is Uncanny X-men
25. Nightcrawler is my favorite.
26. I eat lemons
27. I play piano, but not lately
28. I'm allergic to Pennicillin
29. I shop sale bins obsessively
30. my spelling sucks
31. My favorite type of food is Italian
32. My favorite restaurant is Assaggios
33. I also like Los Tres Magueyes
34. I learned how to fix lawn mower engines in high school
35. I was married in a bed and breakfast in Apex36. I went to culinary school
37. Me and my husband used to play pool
38. I want to start playing again.
39. I sometimes play paintball, but I'm not very good.
40. I lose patience with indecisive people
41. I love hats.
42. Especially big hats
43. I'm a Conservative
44. No, I don't feel like arguing about it.
45. I'm addicted to steamed pork dumplings with tempura sauce.
46. I make killer caramel sauce
47. and lemon curd
48. Someday I will make something with Koigu or Noro Kureyon
49. My crochet skills are really lacking
50. I would like to spin one day
51. My lil'un will start school soon... and I'm so excited for him
52. I have a poor memory
53. I love dangly earrings
54. My favorite color is burgandy
55. I love raspberry schnapps
56. and Kiljafa wine
57. I'm trying to teach my son how to knit.
58. Note the word trying
59. I'm Southern Baptist.
60. My mechanic is the son of my old pastor
61. I don't like the smell of Mandarin oranges
62. Other oranges are OK
63. I have an unreasonable fear of tall grass
65. I forgot #64
66. I'm a night owl
67. I have a job that starts at 6:30 am...fun
68. I actually enjoy my job.
69. I run an 8 shelf oven that holds over250 loves of bread
70. I burn my arm about once a week...in the same d$%n place
71. I love cheese nips
72. I have a grey tabby cat
73. Her name is DAC, short for Dazed and Confused
74. I like going to the shooting range.
75. I can't wear orange or yellow
76. I go on vacation with my entire extended family on my dad's side each year
77. I love the mountains
78. I stayed at Bluestone Nat'l Park once. It was nice.
79. My husband was a boyscout.
80. My mother in law lives with us
81. She enjoys talking...a lot
82. My son was named after his grandfathers
83. My first car was a 67' Dodge Dart
84. I can drive a stick
85. I need a haircut.
86. I dressed as a Harry Potter character for Holloween
87.It amuses me that people are suprised when they see me working on my car.
88. I procrastinate
89. I love the Squirrel Nut Zippers and the red Hot Chili Peppers
90. I didn't think I could get this far in my list.
91. I'm looking forward to picking Strawberries next month.
92. I bought my couch at a thrift store
93. I have a hard time knitting with large needles
94. I can't stand coffee
95. I liked Calculus
96. I hate watercolors...mine anyway
97. I enjoy reading horrible fan fic
98. I can't dance
99. sometimes I do it anyway
100. I actually finished this list!

Neo Body assembled

2005-04-15T20:38:00.000-07:00

Finished the back this evening and promptly stiched up the body of Neopolitan. It actually fits!!! It looks GOOD. I'm a bit excited if you can't tell. I'm so pumped to start in on the arms now. Oh how I wish I could find my camera.

You know what's missing from my blog? A cat picture. Everyone seems to have pet pictures and I may just jump on that bandwagon...soom as I pull out the 35mm again.

The 2002 Cast On Accessory mag came in today. i found lots of prospective Christmas presents. Therre's a darling heart shaped purse and some really cute socks and a nice counterpane purse. It also has the Great Gatsby shawl I want to make.

EDIT: Here's my Neo pictures:

SP and stuff

2005-04-14T15:48:00.000-07:00

I got my Knitty secret pal today. I am looking forward to finding just the right stuff for her. We seem to have so much in common. Cooknknit did an awesome job picking. I already have a few ideas about gifts.

I'm almost done with the back of Neopolitan. Then I can seam it up and check the fit.
The sleeves shouldn't be much of a problem. I just need to work out the top bind off. Depending on how the neckline hangs it will either need a croched border or a ribbed one. Hopefully a ribbed one will do, because my crochet skills are practically nonexsistant.

I've been craving Japanese food all day. Esspecially some Hibachi Steak with that yummy ginger sauce and some fried dumplings dipped in tempura sauce. Oh so yummy. I went to an awesome Chinese/ Japanese place in Knightdale, named Fuji China. It was good and inexpensive, my favorite combination.

Lil'un seems to be getting over his cold pretty well. His appatite has returned somewhat. He ate a whole taco yesturday. That's a lot at one sitting for him

Yarn sale goodness

2005-04-12T16:40:00.000-07:00

Great Yarns is having a discontinued color yarn sale. I picked up stuff for Christmas presents and stuff.
I found Rowan DK Soft for $3.98/ skein

Rowan 4 ply Botany for 2.75 a ball

Rowanspun 4 Ply for 2.35 a ball

Jager Chamonix for 5.90 a ball

I also scored some addi turbos sz2, but they weren't on sale. Cool huh.

Sweater update

2005-04-11T13:33:00.000-07:00

Finished the front and two side panels of my sweater, now called Neopolitan. I decided not to try and send it to Knitty. I'm not sure I can accurately make other sizes, so this one will be practice.

Next thing on the needles is the back. It should be a breeze to figure out compared to the front. The biggest problem has been the sizing. I am a 38.5" bust and a 30" waist. Since Neopolitan is all ribbed I went with a finished width of 32". Hopefully, when finished it will look like this:

It's Christmas project time. I'm thinking about shrugs for my little cousins, but I haven't seen any childrens shrug patterns. I need to E-mail my uncle about the girls' measurments. My Aunt Paula will probably get a nice, but plain and practical hat and scarf. Janet will probably get something a little flashy. That's all I have for now.

The new Knitty rocks and yes, I am the absolute last person to blog about it. W and Soleil really rock! I Do is adorable, but I don't care for shrugs. I wasn't wild about Spring Fling until I saw one on LJ. The KNitty people really put out another solid issue. The article on ease was well timed :)

Southern Knit Bloggers

2005-04-10T11:05:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my humble site! Here, have some refreshing Iced Tea

Free Pattern- obligatory hat

2005-04-10T08:30:00.000-07:00

Here's my Boa earflap hat patten. I'll post a real picture later today. I made this hat a while back so please tell if some of this is wrong.

gague: 4 sts/ 1 in Sz 6 needles
Yarn: 1 skien Bernat Boa
1 skein Luxury Cashmere Aran or Debbie Bliss Cashmerino
scrap mohair (about 8 yards or so)

note: This can be worked in the round, I just didn't have the right sized DPNs.

CO 80 sts with the Cashmerino. Work in seed stich pattern ,working strait for 1 in.
Next row *K1, yo*. This is the RS.
Swith to Boa and work strait in garter st for 4".
Decrease every other row as follows:
*K7, K2tog*
*K6, K2tog*
*K5, K2tog*
*K4, K2tog*
*K3, K2tog*
*K2, K2tog*
*K1, K2tog*
*K2tog*
Run tail through live sts and pull tight. Seam hat.
Earflaps:
Count 15 sts from seam.
Pick up and knit 15 sts
Work in seed st 5 rows.
K1, K2tog*seed st* K2tog, K1
work 2 rows strait, then repeat decrease row.
End with K1, K2tog, K1
Cast off

Make a loop of yarn 1 yd long. Repeat 6 times. Make same loop with mohair 2 times. Cut 1 end of yarn loops. Make sure the leangths of yarn are folded in half. Run the folded in half bunch of yarn through the point of the ear flap. Secure like a tassell. Braid to desired leangth and trim Repeat with other side

HTML crazyness

2005-04-08T20:29:00.000-07:00

I may be getting the hang of this blogging thing afterall. Notice my pretty new buttons and the nice profile. My hair isn't really pink anymore, but I like the picture and it was handy. Notice the web ring...YAY!. I finished piece two of the mystery sweater. Only 6 more pieces to go...sigh. Not tonight, though, I have a headache and tomorrow starts early. I think sometime this weekend I will try to post a picture of my purple hat along with the pattern.

I ordered the issue of Cast On with the Great Gatsby shawl in it. Maybe I'll join the Shawl KAL on Knitty's Coffeeshop. I want to use my KnitPicks Alpaca Cloud in tide pool. I've been itching to use it for some time, but couldn't find a pattern I really liked.

New Project

2005-04-07T19:04:00.000-07:00

After a couple days of annoying knitters block I have decided to design my own sweater. It will be dusty rose pink and chocolate brown. I don't want to say too much about it because I want to submit it to Knitty or Magknits or somewhere for next fall if it turns out well. I will show a pattern swatch, though.

Very exciting...to me anyway.

RAK coolness

2005-04-04T14:41:00.000-07:00

I recieved my first ever RAK package today. It was so exciting. I now have a Fall 2002 issue of Cast on. It has a few interesting patterns and a really good article on burn and bleach tests and one on reversable multi colored fabrics.

Thank you so much Nicole. You made my day! :D

EDIT: What kind of knitter am I? Why I'm glad you asked...

You appear to be a Knitting Adventurer.You are through those knitting growing pains and
feeling more adventurous. You can follow a
standard pattern if it's not too complicated
and know where to go to get help. Maybe you've
started to experiment with different fibers and
you might be eyeing a book with a cool
technique you've never tried. Perhaps you
prefer to stick to other people's patterns but
you are trying to challenge yourself more.
Regardless of your preference, you are
continually trying to grow as a knitter, and as
well you should since your non-knitting friends
are probably dropping some serious hints, these
days.http://marniemaclean.com/

What Kind of Knitter Are You?
brought to you by

egg dye swatch

2005-04-03T19:18:00.000-07:00

Just finished a quick swatch with my egg dye yarn. Viola!

It takes so little to make me happy sometimes.

AVC is done

2005-04-02T20:47:00.000-08:00

Thank God the green thing is DONE! I actually really like it. The way it hung when I first put it together really bugged me. But the weight of the ruffles really evens it out and makes it hang well. I can get to my parents to take pictures tomorrow. I used pretty much all the yarn

There may be a problem with the ruffle pattern. I couldn't get the pattern to work out to save my life, so I winged it and it turned out OK. There doesn't seem to be an errata page anywhere. In fact Adrienne Vittadini doesn't have a page devoted to their yarns or patterns at all. Grumble, grumble.

Now the big question, what next? I'll have to think about it...

EDIT: Here's the pictures. They're not the best, but they're better than nothing.

AVC update

2005-04-01T14:26:00.000-08:00

I'm so close to finishing that thing I can taste it. I only have the back ruffle left to knit. Let me tell you, pichot bind offs are a pain in the butt. It took me an hour and a half to bind off from center back of the neck to the bottom. If I press on I will be able to finish tomorrow. Good thing too as I am almost out of yarn.

The only complaint I have about the sweater is that it is heavy. Seriously heavy. I guess that's just to be expected when you go from a cotton/ acrylic to an all cotton. It is lush though. I think I'm going to stick a button and crochet loop where it falls right under my breasts. It adds a lot of shape and counteracts the droop the extra weight brings. Now I need a pretty button.
With any luck I'll sport it Sunday at church. Pictures will come soon :)

Flash your stash along!

2005-03-30T07:56:00.000-08:00

It's a day early, but what the heck.

There is my KP merino style and alpaca cloud, Smart superwash (bought for 2.50/sk), some recycled hot pink chenille, LB microspun and woolease, King Cole and Sublime mohair and assorted acrylics. The Boa in the front is now a hat.

Homespun oddballs and half a fuzzy foot in Patons Classic Merino.

Cotton and a cotton WIP. Also my purple cashmerino knockoff, a bit of my huge chenille collection ($1/ skein, but I probably wouldn't have bought it if I knew how annoying ang wormy it is), and some recycled angora blend yarn.

My flash didn't work. This is just a closer picture of most of the stuff in the first pic up there.

Wow that's a bad picture. Oddballs mostly. The only thing of note is the huge nylon ribbon yarn I am recyling there in the front.

Not pictured are 11 balls of LB Cool Wool in Khaki (half off YAY) and a new skein of LB Fishermans wool for dying.

Well that's about it. I do have a couple whole sweaters hiding around here, but I didn't get pictures of them. I can't wait to see everyone elses stash. So exciting!

AVC blocked and assembled

2005-03-29T21:09:00.000-08:00

I finished all the pieces to AVC last night and blocked it. The only thing that worried me was the long sleeves. They are 18.5" instead of 16". I was able to seam it this evening. It didn't take as long as I thought and all the seams fit beautifully. Using bobby pins to help hold pieces together worked well. I am in the middle of the first ruffle. I am having trouble getting my stich count to match up. I will examine it tomorrow. I wish AV had a erratta page I could check :sigh:. At least I know this sweater fits. I'm looking at you, Mariah.

While waiting for AVC to dry I made my silly purple hat with ear flaps and braids. It is soooo cute and my first patternless piece. I will take a picture of it later.

The Easter yarn knits up beautifully. Another picture is in order. I so need to make more of it. Maybe enough for a sweater. The main question is stripes or varigated. I lean towards stripes, myself.

Thats all for now. I hope THIS update works. Rewriting sucks :/

The Scarlett Purlpernil

2005-03-27T16:10:00.000-08:00

The Scarlett Purlpernil

Happy Easter. In honor of the holiday and extra egg dye I present:

I need to go out and buy egg dye when it goes on sale tomorrow.

Update on the AVC. I am on my last sleeve. The lace pattern is now stuck in my brain. I am sooo tierd of it. Thankfully, after this piece I can block and assemble it. Then all I have to do is knit on the ruffle. That will at least be a change of pace.

An earflap hat with a Boa crown and two braids is calling my name. It will be a nice quick project. Just what I need after a couple big things. Maybe then Myrna or Angelina. For Myrna I have a pretty milk chocolate colored superwash wool named Smart and Knit Picks Hollyberry Merino Style for Angelina.

FOs, WIPs and Mariah. Oh My!

2005-03-21T13:14:00.000-08:00

FO's and WIP's and Mariah followup.

I need to update my poor neglected blog.

I finished Mariah, but I am not happy with it. My guage is way off. It ended up huge. I also can't seem to put a zipper in strait. It is warm though. Ah well leson learned. I'll watch my guage more carefully, now.
[
Here are my WIP's.

This is Ruffles from Scarf Style. I'm making it with a hand dyed wool yarn. I don't remember the brand name. It's my purse project. I work on it while waiting in line and such.

This is the back of the Adrienne Vittidini Cardigan from the Spring 05 pattern Book. I'm making it out of Lion Cotton in lime. I did soak it in some Rit dye remover to soften the color a bit. It's closer to mint green now.

Here are some of my FOs

My oddball stole. I really like it, but it is a bit long. I always have to wrap it around me a few times to wear it.

My Spiderweb Caplet from SNBN, made out of Red Heart Symphony in purple.

Quick stash sweater using The Knitters Convenient Guide to Sweater Patterns. I'm not happy with the collar, but lil'un loves it.

Done for my husband from LB homespun. My first Intarsia.

Longways scarf originally made for my son's little friend's birthday. I made it too long, so I kept it and made another one for him. It's the perfect size for an adult.

This is an old FO. My first DPN project.

That's about it. I'll try to keep my blog more up to date.

Front Done! and new yarn

2005-02-10T16:45:00.000-08:00

The Scarlett Purlpernil

In the past three days I have finished the left ad right front and started the back of Mariah. If you haven't already noticed, I am saving the other sleeve till last. I want to be able to yoke after I finish that thing. I decided against pockets. I'm scared it will clutter the front up too much.

I made my way across town today to Great Yarns...Oh how I wish I had money. They had gorgeous Manos, and smokey Mtn yarns. The SMYs were around $45/ skein :faint:. They did have some pretty Cascade 220 and lovely Koigu. I bought two skeins of King Cole Luxury Mohair I'm thinking of pairing it with a few other random yarns in my stash and makind=g a shawl or something. I'm thinking of periwinkle luxury cashmere aran, silver microspun, and maybe some teal or purple chenille, and some recycled royal blue angora. Basically whatever strikes my fancy

One Sleeve Done!

2005-02-07T07:22:00.000-08:00

The Scarlett Purlpernil

I finished my first sleeve last night. I need to get my hands on a camera! Let's see one sleeve only took me four days... sigh. Fortunately the sleeves are the hard part; mostly I just really want to wear my sweater. Ah well, on to the left front.

Cable Troubles and pockets

2005-02-04T20:17:00.000-08:00

The Scarlett Purlpernil

YIKES! I have done all my cabling backwards! Thankfully, I like the look so I will press on with backwards cables.

I'm thinking about pockets. I would really like some nice patch ones, maybe with a bit of knotwork on them. Hoodies without pockets just seem unnatural somehow.

My KALs

2005-02-04T17:21:00.000-08:00

I'm going to put all my KAL buttons here:

Mariah!

2005-02-03T08:02:00.000-08:00

The Scarlett Purlpernil

I cast on Mariah last night. It's being made out of Wool Ease in Blue Mist because that's what I already own. The original was done out of a recycled sweater. That must have been one hella big sweater to get 1700 or so yards out of it.

I must learn how to cable without a needle. I found a tutorial here, so I will experiment. It looks pretty easy.

Fuzzy feet are also on the needles. I'm not in a huge hurry for them though. Hopefully they will be done in a week or so.

New FO's

2005-01-30T18:53:00.000-08:00

The Scarlett Purlpernil
I made the Spiderweb capelet from SnBN in the purple Red Heart Symphony It was so easy! I made it in a day.
I also need to make a scarf and hat set for my friends little boy. His birthday is coming up. They have moved around alot and he doesn't have any really nice stuff, so I thought a nice handmade cold weather set would be nice. I'm knitting the scarf longways and striping it with green, brown, black, and two varigated yarns. His favorite colors are green and purple, so I think he'll really like it. I did the scarf yesturday, but I made it way too long. I'll just keep this one and knit him another.

I finished my fingerless gloves. They turned out nice, but not as neat as I like. The ends keep wanting to work their way out.

Next I need to get mom's fuzzy feet on the needles. She does a lot for me and did buy the yarn. (It's a pretty blue twist) I will start them after I finish DJ's hat and scarf. My MIL and I are also doing dishcloths for the church craft sell next fall. So when I need a quick project I will whip some out.

The Scarlett Purlpernil

2005-01-22T17:12:00.000-08:00

The Scarlett Purlpernil
Took apart the sweater I wanted to make Mariah out of last night. I'm about 500 yds short :P I'll make another sweater out of it. It's too nice to waste. I think I may wait a few weeks on Mariah and order some Wool of the Andes from KnitPicks

I learned how to do a Norwegian Purl. You purl with the yarn to the back! Very cool. I already knit continental, so it wasn't that different.

The next project I do needs to be some fingerless gloves. (the type with half fingers) My poor little hands get so cold in the house. I'm going to use some Magic Stripes sock yarn. I tried the Hooray for Me gloves from MML but I couldn't seem to meet guage. Knitlist has a promising pattern on its site.

Worked a bit on Shapely today, but I'm putting it aside until my gloves are done Brrrr!

Hello All

2005-01-19T11:46:00.000-08:00

Hi, I have decided to start a knitting blog. I will start adding pictures as soon as I find my camera.

Let's see I am currently working on shapely tank, ruffles from Scarf Style and Variation on a Frill. Starting febuary 1st I'll start Mariah as a KAL.

I just finished Fuzzy Feet, a shawl for my hubby with an iron cross on the back, and, chunky knit hat.

I hope shapely comes out OK. I wasn't paying attention when I bought the yarn and bought worsted instead of DK. I almost never use the reccamended yarn. I hope my recalculations are right.

Variation is on hold because the main pattern on it is driving me up the wall. I have had to frog it to the frill 4 times. It's pretty though. i am making it out of lion brand microspun in silver (50% off YAY!) I will finish it though.

Ruffles is my traveling project. It fits in my purse. I am making it out of some wonderful hand dyed wool. Its stripey in scarlett, grey, black, and pink. Wonderful, but slow.

I am trying to recycle a big royal blue angora/wool sweater into Mariah, but I am not sure if I will get the yardage I need. My only other real option is some pretty WoolEase in Blue Mist. I like the color, but I hear WE doesn't wear especially well.

Has anyone tried Knit Picks yarn? I would like to try some. I would use it on Mariah, but I am broke :sigh: