One day, the inevitable will happen, and I will need to put Darby to rest and buy a new car. I know, it's painful for me too, but at some point we all need to face reality. I've thought about it a lot, and considering how freaking much I drive, I want a car that will be both fuel efficient and also better for the environment. For these reasons, I know that I want my next car to be a hybrid.
I have narrowed my choices to the Toyota Prius and the Honda Civic hybrid . At this point, I think I am leaning toward the Prius. I know a few people who have them and absolutely love them, but I don't know anyone with the Civic hybrid to compare. This is a HUGE deal for me, both emotionally (I love Darby) and financially (the thought of having car payments again...yeesh)...I want to make sure I am making a good, sound decision and would like to do as much research as possible. If you have first- or second-hand knowledge of either of these cars, or just a preference, please let me know what you think. (You know I am freaking out over this.)
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Monday, November 28, 2005
Super Jenny
Here's my latest "fun" and quick project. I made this sweater for Jenny for a couple of reasons. First, she loves, I mean LOVES, being warm. She spends her nights under the covers and her evenings under a blanket on my lap. Our place gets really cold in the winter (by SoCal standards) and we are in the holding-off process before we are forced to turn on our heater (I know, some of you are giggling at me right now) and our electric bill triples. Jenny's the one that it affects the most - her little ears and toes get so cold. I also wanted to try out color work. I had this left-over yarn from B's Halloween Stan hat. It's Wool Ease and in a brilliant red and blue and figured there is pretty much nothing else I could use it for.
It's pretty much just a rectangle with a ribbed blue end that I seamed together to make a neck. Then I added the...umm...embelishment on the back. I picked up a few stitches for a tummy band that buttons on the other side. It turned out that I had a red fabric covered button in my button box. Since I had no idea what this button goes to, it now is part of Jenny's sweater.
This is what Jenny thinks about her sweater:
Here's a better look at the back.
The inspiration for the sweater was a picture that B made of her when she was a puppy. She had been upside down on her back and playing with a another doggie. When you flipped the picture over, it looked like she was flying like Superman. So, being a graphic designer, he played with it a bit, put her on a sky background and added a cape. We ended up turning it in for the picture contest at our vet and it won!
It's pretty much just a rectangle with a ribbed blue end that I seamed together to make a neck. Then I added the...umm...embelishment on the back. I picked up a few stitches for a tummy band that buttons on the other side. It turned out that I had a red fabric covered button in my button box. Since I had no idea what this button goes to, it now is part of Jenny's sweater.
This is what Jenny thinks about her sweater:
Here's a better look at the back.
The inspiration for the sweater was a picture that B made of her when she was a puppy. She had been upside down on her back and playing with a another doggie. When you flipped the picture over, it looked like she was flying like Superman. So, being a graphic designer, he played with it a bit, put her on a sky background and added a cape. We ended up turning it in for the picture contest at our vet and it won!
Sunday, November 27, 2005
Ball-o-rama
I have been oh-so-quietly knitting away on my WGS. Mainly because most of it is just giant pieces of stockinette stitch in charcoal gray and not all that interesting. I was going to post a picture of the back once I got it done, but it is huge and the scale just wouldn't come though very well in a picture, so I didn't. Right now, I have finished the back, the bottom and one side gusset. I was about to start the second gusset when I realized I needed a break from the charcoal. So, I got out my Vogue Knitting and studied up on color work. I had experimented a bit with color work on a sweater for Jenny, which is currently blocking, and had a chance to make all sorts of fun mistakes. The idea being that I would make less on the front of my WGS. Either way, the good news is that according to the lady at my LYS, felting will hide many of my inperfections - which is very, very good.
What I didn't realize before I started is that color work takes a bit of planning. I had looked at the chart and not processed how many bobbins I would really need. Since I am not an expert at estimating how much yarn I will need for each section, I attached the whole ball (except in a couple places where I made bobbins) and pulled my two strands from the center and outside at the same time. So far, it is working out really well and doesn't get too tangled as I work. So, here is a picture of the first dozen or so rows. I included the tape measure so you could see how big this thing really is!
And here's a close up:
Overall, I give color work a thumbs up. It's fun to see the picture form as you go and working with the different colors breaks up each row as you knit. So far, I haven't made any holes (which is not the case with Jenny's sweater - sorry, little girl) and my tension is fairly even accross the whole thing. I'm also weaving in my ends as I go, so there will be very little finishing once I'm done. This will probably take me a while, since I need to follow a chart (something else I've never had to do before), so it doesn't exactly lend itself to tv knitting - at least not at my level. Anyhoo, I'll post more progress pictures as I go.
What I didn't realize before I started is that color work takes a bit of planning. I had looked at the chart and not processed how many bobbins I would really need. Since I am not an expert at estimating how much yarn I will need for each section, I attached the whole ball (except in a couple places where I made bobbins) and pulled my two strands from the center and outside at the same time. So far, it is working out really well and doesn't get too tangled as I work. So, here is a picture of the first dozen or so rows. I included the tape measure so you could see how big this thing really is!
And here's a close up:
Overall, I give color work a thumbs up. It's fun to see the picture form as you go and working with the different colors breaks up each row as you knit. So far, I haven't made any holes (which is not the case with Jenny's sweater - sorry, little girl) and my tension is fairly even accross the whole thing. I'm also weaving in my ends as I go, so there will be very little finishing once I'm done. This will probably take me a while, since I need to follow a chart (something else I've never had to do before), so it doesn't exactly lend itself to tv knitting - at least not at my level. Anyhoo, I'll post more progress pictures as I go.
Friday, November 25, 2005
The Gauge Report
Today I spent some quality time swatching - yet again. I followed Julia's advice and tried one more time to get the correct gauge prior to re-gauging the whole pattern. I had previously tried 13s and 15s, but finally resorted to 17s today. Fortunately, using 17s I am finally able to get a reasonable gauge for the Bulky Cabled Cardigan. I need to be at 13 rows per 4 inches and I was able to get 14 and my stitch gauge is correct at 10/4 inches. I used the hanging swatch measuring method that Nonnahs told me about from Knitty Gritty and it seems to do the trick for this yarn. My thought is that at this point, I am probably close enough to go forward without having to resort to major overhauls. Julia, does this sound reasonable to you? If so, I will proceed and just keep an eye on my length as I proceed. If it looks like I'm going to be too far off, I can alway rip it back and re-gauge.
Well, that's all for now. I hope everyone had a nice Friday (hopefully off).
Well, that's all for now. I hope everyone had a nice Friday (hopefully off).
Knitting with Furry People
First of all, I just wanted to wish everyone a belated "Happy Thanksgiving"! I hope everyone had a wonderful day yesterday whether you spent your day with friends or family.
We headed over to my parents' house in the afternoon for an evening dinner. I fixed my sister-in-law's recipe for sweet potatoes which went over really well - thanks Krista! Having made them earlier in the week as a side dish, I was able to use that as a dry run, so that those for Thanksgiving were 10 times better - it helps when you actually cook the potatoes during the first step. Boy, me and instructions, I either fail to read them or over-think them entirely, which is what I did with "cook until barely tender." Anyway, this time they came out great. Everything else came out really good too and we all ate untill we were stuffed like that bird. The highlight of the evening for me was my mom giggling at B's "pie hole" comment.
After dinner, we rested a bit, listened to some music and ate dessert in the living room with our furry friends. Jenny and my parents' 4 kitties hung out with us (even the old curmudgeon, Benni). This is when I had another taste of the difference between knitting with kitties and doggies.
Tiger decided that my Lite Lopi was the best smelling stuff he'd smelled in a long time and proceeding to stuff his face into the middle of my two balls of yarn. He then got so excited he started kneeding it with this paws while alternately stuffing his face in the yarn. If he saw the working yarn wiggle at all he tried to kill it.
After tuckering himself out and with only a couple puncture wounds in my thigh, he fell asleep next to me and I could finally pick up my needles again. Jenny on the otherhand...
...has an entirely different relationship with my yarn. So, I guess it's a good thing Jenny's the one who comes home with us. Otherwise, I'm sure I would have to come up with all sorts of stealth knitting techniques in order to preserve my yarn and skin.
We headed over to my parents' house in the afternoon for an evening dinner. I fixed my sister-in-law's recipe for sweet potatoes which went over really well - thanks Krista! Having made them earlier in the week as a side dish, I was able to use that as a dry run, so that those for Thanksgiving were 10 times better - it helps when you actually cook the potatoes during the first step. Boy, me and instructions, I either fail to read them or over-think them entirely, which is what I did with "cook until barely tender." Anyway, this time they came out great. Everything else came out really good too and we all ate untill we were stuffed like that bird. The highlight of the evening for me was my mom giggling at B's "pie hole" comment.
After dinner, we rested a bit, listened to some music and ate dessert in the living room with our furry friends. Jenny and my parents' 4 kitties hung out with us (even the old curmudgeon, Benni). This is when I had another taste of the difference between knitting with kitties and doggies.
Tiger decided that my Lite Lopi was the best smelling stuff he'd smelled in a long time and proceeding to stuff his face into the middle of my two balls of yarn. He then got so excited he started kneeding it with this paws while alternately stuffing his face in the yarn. If he saw the working yarn wiggle at all he tried to kill it.
After tuckering himself out and with only a couple puncture wounds in my thigh, he fell asleep next to me and I could finally pick up my needles again. Jenny on the otherhand...
...has an entirely different relationship with my yarn. So, I guess it's a good thing Jenny's the one who comes home with us. Otherwise, I'm sure I would have to come up with all sorts of stealth knitting techniques in order to preserve my yarn and skin.
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Happy Turkey Day!
I won't have time to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving tomorrow because B and I are waking up at the crack to drive ourselves out to...Vegas. Yes, that's right. I know when you think of Thanksgiving you automatically think Vegas. The reason we're heading out there is to spend the holiday with B's sister and her husband, who recently moved there. B's parents will also meet us there. It should be fun...once we actually get there. I'm trying to remain optimistic about the traffic sitch, but one can only hope for so much. But, aside from having to wake up at the crack (which I do most everyday anyhow), it shouldn't be all that bad...after all, B will be driving us in his still-sort-of-new car (sorry Darby, you're staying home this weekend), so that will allow me the opportunity to- well, nap, and... knit! I have never actually taken part in car-knitting before, so we'll see how that goes!
Anyway, in case I don't have time to blog from Sin City, I wanted to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving now. I have so much to be thankful for, including such wonderful friends. :) Have a wonderful holiday!
Anyway, in case I don't have time to blog from Sin City, I wanted to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving now. I have so much to be thankful for, including such wonderful friends. :) Have a wonderful holiday!
And the saga begins...
After quite a few great comments (thank you all for your suggestions), I decided to make Glampyre's Bulky Cabled Cardigan with my Freedom Wool. My yarn came in last weekend and I started playing around with the gauge. First, I just want to say that this yarn is as good as it looks. Not only that, when you knit with it, it is even softer than when it is just hanging around!
So here's the problem: I have discovered that although the gauge virtually matches the pattern. When I knit it, my row gauge is way off. And I mean WAY off! Try 20 sts per 4 inches instead of 13! Even working loosely, I can't seem to get down past 18/4 inches. What the heck? This is the first time I've had this problem with yarn (or probably more accurately - the first time I have been aware of this problem with yarn).
I know what comes next: math. Fortunately, I like math and I'm not that bad at it - although I am slightly out of practice. I've also never had to re-guage an entire pattern before. So, this should be a good learning experience. When I realized that this was possible in knitting, the world openned up. The problem is I'm still a little freaked out about it. I'm still a beginner so, although I am starting to "see" what is going on, it's still a skill I am developing. And I am afraid I am going to make a monkey sweater or some other equally out of proportion monster - let alone the fact that this is the first time I am working with cables!
Given that, I've made half a dozen swatches but have yet to cast on. I know that I need to sit down with the pattern to do the calculations properly (not in front of the tv), but it seems like such an undertaking. I haven't been able to get up the energy to do it. I do keep petting the yarn though and it has taken up residence in the middle of my coffee table. The thing is, I am itching to work with that yarn again. In fact, I don't think I have ever worked with a yarn that I literally crave to knit with. Usually, it's the process that drives me and the yarn is a bonus. But this yarn! I want to feel it in my fingers! I've already decided that I will be buying more. In fact, that creamy loopy jacket is calling my name. Only now I know that I will knit it with the Freedom Wool and not substitute it for something in my stash. Good thing the holidays are coming...
So here's the problem: I have discovered that although the gauge virtually matches the pattern. When I knit it, my row gauge is way off. And I mean WAY off! Try 20 sts per 4 inches instead of 13! Even working loosely, I can't seem to get down past 18/4 inches. What the heck? This is the first time I've had this problem with yarn (or probably more accurately - the first time I have been aware of this problem with yarn).
I know what comes next: math. Fortunately, I like math and I'm not that bad at it - although I am slightly out of practice. I've also never had to re-guage an entire pattern before. So, this should be a good learning experience. When I realized that this was possible in knitting, the world openned up. The problem is I'm still a little freaked out about it. I'm still a beginner so, although I am starting to "see" what is going on, it's still a skill I am developing. And I am afraid I am going to make a monkey sweater or some other equally out of proportion monster - let alone the fact that this is the first time I am working with cables!
Given that, I've made half a dozen swatches but have yet to cast on. I know that I need to sit down with the pattern to do the calculations properly (not in front of the tv), but it seems like such an undertaking. I haven't been able to get up the energy to do it. I do keep petting the yarn though and it has taken up residence in the middle of my coffee table. The thing is, I am itching to work with that yarn again. In fact, I don't think I have ever worked with a yarn that I literally crave to knit with. Usually, it's the process that drives me and the yarn is a bonus. But this yarn! I want to feel it in my fingers! I've already decided that I will be buying more. In fact, that creamy loopy jacket is calling my name. Only now I know that I will knit it with the Freedom Wool and not substitute it for something in my stash. Good thing the holidays are coming...
Monday, November 21, 2005
Kin-cho Okinawa Reunion
I'm still waiting for pics from my cousin of this weekend - my family and I went to a reunion in downtown Vegas (Fremont Hotel) with 200+ attendees, all from the former village, now city, of Kin in Okinawa. Folks living in CA, Hawaii, Vegas and Canada attended, and we were able to see some Okinawan dances and a Hawaiian hula, and listen to my sister sing (yay!) as my three-year old cousin joined her and danced on stage. One woman started chanting the Torah in Yiddish (yeah, not related to the reason for the event, but interesting nevertheless) and the emcee told a nice story about being classmates with Don Ho. Apparently, the Okinawan organization is one of the strongest cultural/social groups with political clout in Hawaii? (according to the former governor of Hawaii who attended that night.) It was a nice experience, getting back to my roots.
Baby Kimono
As an addenda to Nonnahs post, I wanted to add a picture of the finished Baby Kimono. I ended up using ribbon for the closure, but I am not happy with it still - it keeps sliding open. I think that since D's mom is a Knitter, maybe she can add an I-code closure for her or something a little more sturdy.
Overall, I think it came out pretty good. I learned how to do the 3 needle bind off, which I think may be the coolest knitting trick I've learned to date. It made great seams and BOed my sleeve tops in one step! This is not a quick knit however, but easy and really fun to see it come together. I had also never used so many stitch holders in my life. At various stages during construction it was almost impossible to tell what I was making until you performed some magical origami and *poof* you could see its baby-sweaterness.
This picture is a little wonky because it was difficult to see the definition around the neck with a flash. So, I opted for natural light paired with an unsteady hand. One of these days I will learn how to take a picture.
Overall, I think it came out pretty good. I learned how to do the 3 needle bind off, which I think may be the coolest knitting trick I've learned to date. It made great seams and BOed my sleeve tops in one step! This is not a quick knit however, but easy and really fun to see it come together. I had also never used so many stitch holders in my life. At various stages during construction it was almost impossible to tell what I was making until you performed some magical origami and *poof* you could see its baby-sweaterness.
This picture is a little wonky because it was difficult to see the definition around the neck with a flash. So, I opted for natural light paired with an unsteady hand. One of these days I will learn how to take a picture.
Friends, Harry Potter, and Turkey
Busy weekend, with very little knitting, I'm afraid. *sigh* Saturday was fun, albeit exhausting. I drove down to SD for a dear friend's baby shower. One never knows what to expect on the ol' 405/5, so I left with more than enough time to meet up with Dis for coffee before heading off to the shower. It was a beautiful, sunny morning, and after a warm cup of coffee and a corn muffin in the tummy, we were both ready for a nap…but we headed off to the shower instead…we couldn't wait to see our friend, D. In classic "loopy" fashion, we got lost on the way there, but managed to arrive fashionably late without too much of a commotion. D looked absolutely beautiful and happy, and petite as ever, with the exception of the cutest bump in front. :) The shower was lovely, and in addition, turned out to be a bit of a learning experience. I don't think Dis will mind me telling you that we both failed miserably at the shower games. (Note to self: prior to the next baby shower, brush up on your nursery rhymes and baby-related terminology and accoutrements, and how much these things cost). The best part was seeing D again, since it had been way too long since I had seen her last. She had fun at her shower, and received a lot of great gifts- including knitted items from both Dis and I and her mom…This woman knitted the cutest hats and sweaters…Dis and I couldn't help but inspect them with awe. "Someday," I thought, "Someday!" I knitted a little hat and bootie ensemble out of yummy Blue Sky Alpacas Organic Cotton. I just love this stuff for babies! I wish I could have stayed in SD longer, but I had to head back Saturday afternoon, to make it back to see Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire with B and a couple of friends on Saturday night. Well, wouldn't you know it, traffic going back sucked ass! I had déjà vu driving through the OC, as I encountered traffic reminiscent of my usual workweek commute! I barely made it back in time to meet B and friends at the theater. Thankfully, B smuggled in some leftover dinner for me to eat on thelnot-so-DL in the theater. The movie was fun, of course, even though it felt like it dragged in parts. It may have been my fault though, since I was really tired by this point.
Sunday was spent cooking. Since we won't be able to have Thanksgiving with my sister and BIL, I decided that I would have them over for an early Thanksgiving dinner, yesterday. I LOVE Thanksgiving dinner food, and I may be one of the few people in the country that actually enjoys cooking it. Only drawback- it was the hottest day yesterday! And, of course, it didn't help that I had the oven on all the day, and B was doing laundry. Oh well. It was worth it. The turkey (which is always the most nerve-wrecking part) turned out great, and I also made homemade stuffing and cranberries. My sis LA made yummy mashed potatoes and Rex even baked a pumpkin pie! It was all delish! Now we have lots of leftovers (even after the doggie bags were packed) - yay- and the best part…we get to have more of this yumminess on Thursday! I love Thanksgiving…mmm...
Sunday was spent cooking. Since we won't be able to have Thanksgiving with my sister and BIL, I decided that I would have them over for an early Thanksgiving dinner, yesterday. I LOVE Thanksgiving dinner food, and I may be one of the few people in the country that actually enjoys cooking it. Only drawback- it was the hottest day yesterday! And, of course, it didn't help that I had the oven on all the day, and B was doing laundry. Oh well. It was worth it. The turkey (which is always the most nerve-wrecking part) turned out great, and I also made homemade stuffing and cranberries. My sis LA made yummy mashed potatoes and Rex even baked a pumpkin pie! It was all delish! Now we have lots of leftovers (even after the doggie bags were packed) - yay- and the best part…we get to have more of this yumminess on Thursday! I love Thanksgiving…mmm...
Sunday, November 20, 2005
What Would You Do?
It is 7:20 am on a Sunday morning. You need to call your daughter/sister/friend/aunt/cousin. You dial her number. The phone rings for a while before an answering machine picks up. On the machine is a man's voice, not your daughter/sister/friend/aunt/cousin. He is speaking in a language you generally don't speak with your daughter/sister/friend/aunt/cousin. You possibly think, although somewhat briefly - did I dial that number right? It is afterall fairly early on a Sunday morning and some people could actually still be asleep. Regardless, you proceed to try and convince your daughter/sister/friend/aunt/cousin to pick up the phone as follows: "Hello? Itsy? Hello? Hellooooooo? Itsy? [*big sigh*]" Repeat: "Hello? Itsy? Hello? Hellooooooo? Itsy?" [mumble to someone in the background] Repeat: "Hello? Itsy? Hello? Hellooooooo? Itsy?" You decide to repeat this one more time for good measure. Part way though this last repeat. A crazed woman answers the phone. She sounds very tired and very pissed. Come to think of it, it sounds like the woman who sometimes answers the phone when you try to call your daughter/sister/friend/aunt/cousin. She has told you many times in the past that it is the wrong number very nicely. Usually you eventually figure out that you've used the wrong area code, misread your daughter/sister/friend/aunt/cousin's number from your book, or are completely mentally deficient. This time the woman isn't so nice. She yells into the phone "WRONG NUMBER" and slams the phone into the rocker.
So what do you do?
You call back.
So what do you do?
You call back.
Friday, November 18, 2005
Knit Salon
I had a very enjoyable evening last night. It was the first time I ventured out to a formal sit & knit. This particular one was hosted by the Grove in South Park San Diego. They hold a knit salon every other Thursday evening from 6:30 to 9:00 (I think). There were at least a dozen knitters there - notice I didn't say ladies? Yes, there was a guy knitter too! Yay - it's so nice to see that. I wish more guys would knit. B actually talked about learning, but it will be interesting to find a fiber that isn't going to drive his hands crazy.
Nasus was able to join me which was great because I hadn't seen her in a couple weeks. We chatted and knit and checked out what everyone else was making and the next thing we knew it was 8:00! The owner of the store was making a bobbi bear - so I had a chance to ask her about that project, since I will be making one soon (and found out they were going to have a bobbi bear class in December! I don't think you really need a class to follow the pattern, but how fun would that be?). Another lady was starting a baby kimono in the cutest green wool and we all commiserated about how it wasn't really a quick knit. Just because it's small doesn't mean you can knit thousands of tiny stitches quickly. And I think one of the most fun things was the show and tell of the monster hat kits that you can see here. These were so cute and would be great for kids and big kids, I mean adults.
Nasus and I made some progress on our own WIPs. I got a bit more done on my very-first-sock-leg-ever and Nasus looks like she is now at least 1/2 done with the Kyoto sash. The owner commented on Nasus' lovely knitting - she told her that she had never seen that yarn knitted up so well - "Mine never looked like that." As for my sock leg, you can now see the pattern of the Lorna's Laces I am using (details in my yarn review section). I think the spiral will be cute, but I am trying not to wig out about matching it to my second sock. I see knitters (and I mean Knitters) post pictures of not perfectly matched socks all the time, but I have a feeling that the impulse to match could take over rational thought if I don't have a couple glasses of wine first when that time comes. I seriously understand the theory behind making a sock that matches, but logistically? I keep telling myself it's my first pair, it's ok for them to be different. This is a learning process after all, right?
Anyway, I will definitely be going back and I can see how this could be a seriously addicting activity. So, until next time...
Nasus was able to join me which was great because I hadn't seen her in a couple weeks. We chatted and knit and checked out what everyone else was making and the next thing we knew it was 8:00! The owner of the store was making a bobbi bear - so I had a chance to ask her about that project, since I will be making one soon (and found out they were going to have a bobbi bear class in December! I don't think you really need a class to follow the pattern, but how fun would that be?). Another lady was starting a baby kimono in the cutest green wool and we all commiserated about how it wasn't really a quick knit. Just because it's small doesn't mean you can knit thousands of tiny stitches quickly. And I think one of the most fun things was the show and tell of the monster hat kits that you can see here. These were so cute and would be great for kids and big kids, I mean adults.
Nasus and I made some progress on our own WIPs. I got a bit more done on my very-first-sock-leg-ever and Nasus looks like she is now at least 1/2 done with the Kyoto sash. The owner commented on Nasus' lovely knitting - she told her that she had never seen that yarn knitted up so well - "Mine never looked like that." As for my sock leg, you can now see the pattern of the Lorna's Laces I am using (details in my yarn review section). I think the spiral will be cute, but I am trying not to wig out about matching it to my second sock. I see knitters (and I mean Knitters) post pictures of not perfectly matched socks all the time, but I have a feeling that the impulse to match could take over rational thought if I don't have a couple glasses of wine first when that time comes. I seriously understand the theory behind making a sock that matches, but logistically? I keep telling myself it's my first pair, it's ok for them to be different. This is a learning process after all, right?
Anyway, I will definitely be going back and I can see how this could be a seriously addicting activity. So, until next time...
Thursday, November 17, 2005
Yarn Haul
I was delighted to receive my package of sale yarn from WEBS delivered on time (for a change) by UPS yesterday. I used some restraint last night and kept the bags mostly intact, but I did pull out a couple of examples of each one for a photo shoot. Since I am most happy about this one, I thought I would share the Rowan Magpie in this post. I don't usually like to buy yarn that I haven't touched because sometime you can be surprised. I was surprised this time, but in a good way. I figured for Eris the yarn didn't have to be the softest wool ever because it is destined for an outerwear cardigan. I loved the color and thought this would show off the pattern nicely. The description just said that it was 100% new wool. What's that mean? But given the price and what it was going to be used for, I figured - just go for it. I was pleasantly surprised with the softness of this wool. Don't get me wrong it's not merino, but it isn't scratchy like the lite lopi I am using for my WGS. It's just sturdy. Which should be perfect for what I want to do with it. I also picked up some Jaegar Luxury Tweed (the color of which turned out to be totally different than what I thought - but will be fine) and Rowanspun 4-ply. I'll put pictures of these in my yarn reviews section - although I won't have a review of them until I actually use them.
In other news, I finished up the baby kimono and it is freshly washed and blocked. I will post a picture later this weekend. It just needs a closure. Why are cute ribbons so hard to find?
In other news, I finished up the baby kimono and it is freshly washed and blocked. I will post a picture later this weekend. It just needs a closure. Why are cute ribbons so hard to find?
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
French Wine
My brother-in-law is a vintner in France and he operates a family owned vineyard and winery. He believes that the job of a vintner is to let the wine make itself. He doesn't force it to fit some pre-determined characteristics. What is sad, is that this way of making wine is quickly disappearing as large wineries buy up the small independent farms and convert them into producers of generic wine. It is important to support independent wineries so we don't lose the unique characteristics that each part of the world, each type of soil and each climate can produce.
To help support this movement (and his business), he has been working really hard at bringing more of his wine to the U.S. We just found out that his wine can now be purchased online here. There is a description of the wine that is available. It doesn't match up to what you are used to seeing in the states (chardonnay, Pinot, etc.), but it is a great dry white wine. You will have to check the rules about shipping to your area, but it's a great opportunity to try a truly yummy wine from an amazingly beautiful part of the world.
P.S. You can read more about life on their farm and in France through my sister-in-law's blog: Stitchin' Sheep.
To help support this movement (and his business), he has been working really hard at bringing more of his wine to the U.S. We just found out that his wine can now be purchased online here. There is a description of the wine that is available. It doesn't match up to what you are used to seeing in the states (chardonnay, Pinot, etc.), but it is a great dry white wine. You will have to check the rules about shipping to your area, but it's a great opportunity to try a truly yummy wine from an amazingly beautiful part of the world.
P.S. You can read more about life on their farm and in France through my sister-in-law's blog: Stitchin' Sheep.
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Giant Balls
Thought that might get your attention. That little two-word phrase pretty much encapsulates my knitting update for the day. I realized, while scanning my living room, that this is what I have to show for my current projects (sock aside). Huge balls of fat yarn. I am working on a few scarves using Misti Alpaca Chunky, so I have a few balls of that rolling around in different colors, and just yesterday I received the Brown Sheep Burly Spun for the chunky winter pullover sweater I've been wanting to make, so I've also got some of that wound into the hugest ball of yarn I have ever possessed*. It struck me as interesting that I am working with these fatty yarns all of a sudden. It's fun though, and quick to knit up, which is even…funner!
The scarves…I can't get into these babies much, since I plan to gift them, but I can say that I am in love with this yarn. I picked up my first couple bundles of joy of this fabulous yarn when I was at Knit Café a couple of weeks ago and have since then used it to knit up a very cute cabled scarf for myself. This is such yummy yarn that I wanted to share it, so I went bac, bought some more, and embarked this little scarf project.
The chunky sweater is a simple pullover. So far I've casted on and started working on the collar. I'm so excited about finally starting this project, I can't tell you. My love for charcoal gray sweaters may or may not be widely known, but I really do have a thing for them. My philosophy is that you can never have too many. (Kind of like white t-shirts and black shoes.) And this will be the first one that I've knit for myself, so I'm all the more excited.
Last but not least, there's my beloved sock. Ah, sock. I started on the gusset and I think I'm doing it right. I'll get a picture of it up soon, so you can be the judge.
Anyway, that's about it from the knitting world for now. I hope you and your balls are all well. :)
*
The scarves…I can't get into these babies much, since I plan to gift them, but I can say that I am in love with this yarn. I picked up my first couple bundles of joy of this fabulous yarn when I was at Knit Café a couple of weeks ago and have since then used it to knit up a very cute cabled scarf for myself. This is such yummy yarn that I wanted to share it, so I went bac, bought some more, and embarked this little scarf project.
The chunky sweater is a simple pullover. So far I've casted on and started working on the collar. I'm so excited about finally starting this project, I can't tell you. My love for charcoal gray sweaters may or may not be widely known, but I really do have a thing for them. My philosophy is that you can never have too many. (Kind of like white t-shirts and black shoes.) And this will be the first one that I've knit for myself, so I'm all the more excited.
Last but not least, there's my beloved sock. Ah, sock. I started on the gusset and I think I'm doing it right. I'll get a picture of it up soon, so you can be the judge.
Anyway, that's about it from the knitting world for now. I hope you and your balls are all well. :)
*
Monday, November 14, 2005
Fun with Sound
Well, there is a first for everything: I spent the majority of my afternoon yesterday recording dialog for my brother’s film project. Basically, it is a series of 8 short films that feature 4 couples. I knew I was going to have to do it when he first mentioned us being involved in his latest project. However, recording the audio had been delayed because my brother and his wife had to move from there place unexpectedly, which meant they lost the sound booth they had made in their closet. The new place doesn’t have the closet space the other place did so they were forced to construct a sound booth in the office. Except for getting a little hot inside, it was actually pretty well done. They ended up constructing it out of foam core with sound dampening foam inside.
I was worried that it would be really bad. I mean, neither B nor I have had any “acting” experience and we are both fairly shy when it comes to any form of public performance. So a couple days before the recording, I started playing head games with myself – it will be fun - it’s only your brother - he’ll walk you through it - no big deal. Except feeling a little stupid when we started, both B and I got the hang of it and it actually came out ok. I actually started to think it was kind of fun.
The only thing is that they don’t really know how much of our audio will actually end up in the film. Everyone involved read for several different parts so they could get a variety of examples of what different people could do with it. I ended up reading a dialog scene and the narrator for one film and the narrator for another film. B read the other half of my dialog and the narrator for a third film. I just hope that at least something that each of us did will end up in the final movie. He is planning on having a screening once it is all done. Now, I can’t wait to see the final product!
I was worried that it would be really bad. I mean, neither B nor I have had any “acting” experience and we are both fairly shy when it comes to any form of public performance. So a couple days before the recording, I started playing head games with myself – it will be fun - it’s only your brother - he’ll walk you through it - no big deal. Except feeling a little stupid when we started, both B and I got the hang of it and it actually came out ok. I actually started to think it was kind of fun.
The only thing is that they don’t really know how much of our audio will actually end up in the film. Everyone involved read for several different parts so they could get a variety of examples of what different people could do with it. I ended up reading a dialog scene and the narrator for one film and the narrator for another film. B read the other half of my dialog and the narrator for a third film. I just hope that at least something that each of us did will end up in the final movie. He is planning on having a screening once it is all done. Now, I can’t wait to see the final product!
Friday, November 11, 2005
Happy Birthday Jenny!
In honor of Jenny's 8th birthday, I got her to fill out her own meme. She worked really hard on this to give everyone a better idea of the little person within the fur coat. So here you go:
1. First name? Jenny
2. Were you named after anyone? Yes, a puppy that my people's grandma named. Not after my mama, which is what everyone always thinks.
3. Favorite place? Sun spots.
4. When did you last cry? Probably last new year's when my people stayed out until 3:00 and I thought that maybe they had left me for good this time.
5. Do you like your handwriting? Ummm...
6. What is your favorite lunch meat? Do I have to pick just one?
7. What is your birth date? November 11, 1997 - this isn't going to get me into trouble with identity theft is it?
8. Do you use sarcasm? I prefer to whine. It tends to get me what I want. Besides the subtleties of my sarcasm are lost on my people.
9. What are your nicknames? Wiener, Wiggle Worm, Pooper, Crazy Dog, Good Girl, Pretty Girl, Benny, Jennybenenners, Bennyben, Jennyben, JB, you get the idea.
10. Biggest fears? The vacuum, remote controls, telephones, cameras, alarm clocks, being left at home all alone forever.
11. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? Well, I'm just glad I can't answer that question because I would hate my people to get it into their heads that I would want to wear shoes.
12. Do you think that you are strong? Yes, I can jump almost to the door handle and I can carry a whole shoe in my mouth.
13. Favorite words? Bedtime, dinner, breakfast, Greenie, cookie, treat, sun, toy, play, run, ball, bone, outside, mail.
14. Least favorite words? Bath, f*ck
15. Who do you miss most? Scrappy Doodle and Hershey Bar
16. Last thing you ate? I bit of artichoke tip that fell on the floor while my mama was fixing dinner.
17. Best friend? Well, I have quite a few. I have my people friends and then my animal friends. I like hanging out with Amanda, Phil, Benni and Tiger, but they don't bark and they have no noses.
18. The first thing you notice about the opposite sex? I love a good bum
19. Favorite drink? Beer
20. Favorite sport? Running. Next year I'm going to medal in the Wiener Nationals - I can feel it.
21. Hair color? Mostly black
22. Eye color? Super dark brown
23. Favorite food? All food - except lettuce and spinach. Yuck!
24. Summer or winter? Summer, of course - more sun!!
25. Hugs or kisses? KISSES!! Lots and lots of neck kisses. But I love group hugs with my people.
26. What did you watch on TV last night? Law and Order while my people were out galavanting around town
27. Favorite smells? Dead bugs, doggie bums, air
28. Favorite sounds? The sound of a can of dog food cracking open, the sound of my people coming home.
29. Guilty pleasure? Barking at myself in the mirror. I know it's stupid, but I love to do it when no one is watching.
30. What's the furthest you've been from home? I guess when I moved from my home in Texas but before I got to my home in San Diego, so I guess 1500 miles.
31. Beatles or Stones? Beatles! There is nothing quite like rubbing your neck on a dead bug. Stones break your teeth.
31. Do you have a special talent? Looking cute. I practice you know.
32. Worst fault? Stealing. I can't help it. I wait until their guard is done and then I strike. My favorite capers included the bag of Jolly Ranches, B's wallet complete with Christmas cash, shoes, pens, dryer sheets, dirty tissues and napkins.
1. First name? Jenny
2. Were you named after anyone? Yes, a puppy that my people's grandma named. Not after my mama, which is what everyone always thinks.
3. Favorite place? Sun spots.
4. When did you last cry? Probably last new year's when my people stayed out until 3:00 and I thought that maybe they had left me for good this time.
5. Do you like your handwriting? Ummm...
6. What is your favorite lunch meat? Do I have to pick just one?
7. What is your birth date? November 11, 1997 - this isn't going to get me into trouble with identity theft is it?
8. Do you use sarcasm? I prefer to whine. It tends to get me what I want. Besides the subtleties of my sarcasm are lost on my people.
9. What are your nicknames? Wiener, Wiggle Worm, Pooper, Crazy Dog, Good Girl, Pretty Girl, Benny, Jennybenenners, Bennyben, Jennyben, JB, you get the idea.
10. Biggest fears? The vacuum, remote controls, telephones, cameras, alarm clocks, being left at home all alone forever.
11. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? Well, I'm just glad I can't answer that question because I would hate my people to get it into their heads that I would want to wear shoes.
12. Do you think that you are strong? Yes, I can jump almost to the door handle and I can carry a whole shoe in my mouth.
13. Favorite words? Bedtime, dinner, breakfast, Greenie, cookie, treat, sun, toy, play, run, ball, bone, outside, mail.
14. Least favorite words? Bath, f*ck
15. Who do you miss most? Scrappy Doodle and Hershey Bar
16. Last thing you ate? I bit of artichoke tip that fell on the floor while my mama was fixing dinner.
17. Best friend? Well, I have quite a few. I have my people friends and then my animal friends. I like hanging out with Amanda, Phil, Benni and Tiger, but they don't bark and they have no noses.
18. The first thing you notice about the opposite sex? I love a good bum
19. Favorite drink? Beer
20. Favorite sport? Running. Next year I'm going to medal in the Wiener Nationals - I can feel it.
21. Hair color? Mostly black
22. Eye color? Super dark brown
23. Favorite food? All food - except lettuce and spinach. Yuck!
24. Summer or winter? Summer, of course - more sun!!
25. Hugs or kisses? KISSES!! Lots and lots of neck kisses. But I love group hugs with my people.
26. What did you watch on TV last night? Law and Order while my people were out galavanting around town
27. Favorite smells? Dead bugs, doggie bums, air
28. Favorite sounds? The sound of a can of dog food cracking open, the sound of my people coming home.
29. Guilty pleasure? Barking at myself in the mirror. I know it's stupid, but I love to do it when no one is watching.
30. What's the furthest you've been from home? I guess when I moved from my home in Texas but before I got to my home in San Diego, so I guess 1500 miles.
31. Beatles or Stones? Beatles! There is nothing quite like rubbing your neck on a dead bug. Stones break your teeth.
31. Do you have a special talent? Looking cute. I practice you know.
32. Worst fault? Stealing. I can't help it. I wait until their guard is done and then I strike. My favorite capers included the bag of Jolly Ranches, B's wallet complete with Christmas cash, shoes, pens, dryer sheets, dirty tissues and napkins.
Thursday, November 10, 2005
Happy
There seems to be so much happiness emanating from Dis' posts that I decided to balance out the joy scale with my post...I worked almost 10 hours today, I'm fighting a sinus/ear infection, and my countdown to finals has begun. What a downer! But not really. Oddly enough, I feel very happy and content. I started getting excited again on working on my (one and only) project - my Kyoto sash. Yup, still going strong, and I'm refusing to start a new project until I finish this sweater. Call me bull-headed...
Concert Review - Death Cab for Cutie
Last night was date night. B and I started our evening at our local Chinese Japanese restaurant Toro Sushi for dinner, which despite not being owned or operated by anyone who is Japanese, makes good, affordable Japanese food and sushi. I don’t think we would ever go there for just sushi, but the rolls are good and the cooked food is great. More importantly, it is clean. We then headed over to Soma for the Death Cab for Cutie show. I’ve been into them for a while, but I am totally obsessed by the new album. They are amazing musician and the vocals have a haunting quality. If you like them but don’t have the new CD – GET IT! If you have never heard of them, you can listen to them on their website. Their current single will start playing after the main page is loaded and you can pause, etc. from a little menu bar in the top left corner. Also, as an FYI - you can buy their records right from the record company, Barsuk records. They are a good price and more money goes directly to the artist than to corporate retailers.
I’m always a little nervous to see a band live because sometimes it is just disappointing to see that all that talent that is on their CD is really “assisting” through the production process. Then the CD just doesn’t sound as good to me any more. Well, fortunately, Death Cab does not fall in this category. It was an amazing performance. The only problem is that they were battling a poor venue and had some technical issues going on. Apparently the wireless earpiece the guitarist was using (so he could hear the vocals), was also picking up truckers from the freeway! The sound people also didn’t have the vocals turned up high enough on the front microphone during most of the show. It was good, but you could really hear the quality difference when he sang from the piano in the back. When he came out for the encore to do the acoustic song, I Will Follow You into the Dark, he had them raise the vocals. From then on, the show was great; it’s just too bad there were only two more songs after that. However, I will not hold that against them in any way. You could hear the quality of the performance though the whole show, it was just a little uneven because of the sound levels. So, my question is this: Isn’t that what the guy at the sound board is supposed to do? Could he seriously not hear what was going on?
Overall B and I gave the show a thumbs up and would definitely go back to see them again, but preferably some place that has seats. We’re not 20 anymore and my back hurt and B’s knees hurt after the show, so we had to self medicate with wine :-)
I’m always a little nervous to see a band live because sometimes it is just disappointing to see that all that talent that is on their CD is really “assisting” through the production process. Then the CD just doesn’t sound as good to me any more. Well, fortunately, Death Cab does not fall in this category. It was an amazing performance. The only problem is that they were battling a poor venue and had some technical issues going on. Apparently the wireless earpiece the guitarist was using (so he could hear the vocals), was also picking up truckers from the freeway! The sound people also didn’t have the vocals turned up high enough on the front microphone during most of the show. It was good, but you could really hear the quality difference when he sang from the piano in the back. When he came out for the encore to do the acoustic song, I Will Follow You into the Dark, he had them raise the vocals. From then on, the show was great; it’s just too bad there were only two more songs after that. However, I will not hold that against them in any way. You could hear the quality of the performance though the whole show, it was just a little uneven because of the sound levels. So, my question is this: Isn’t that what the guy at the sound board is supposed to do? Could he seriously not hear what was going on?
Overall B and I gave the show a thumbs up and would definitely go back to see them again, but preferably some place that has seats. We’re not 20 anymore and my back hurt and B’s knees hurt after the show, so we had to self medicate with wine :-)
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Manic
I know that what I am about to talk about is certainly not unique among the knitters out there. But this is the first time that I have thoroughly experienced a manic episode. It started innocently enough when I checked my email. I'm not sure what I expected to find, but it was not what was so inapropriately labeled as "junk". How dare Hotmail decide that a sales bulletin from WEBS be junk! Especially when it was the never-before-seen Rowan clearance sale. I literally thought I was going to have a heart attack.
As fast as my fingers could click I looked at the yarn on sale. And let me tell you. These weren't just the ugly ones left. OMG. The had the tweeds! The ones that I keep petting at every LYS I visit but never buy. And not only that, they were half off! I started freaking out - I better hurry before they are all gone - If I wait they will be gone!
Then I started thinking about Eris - Oh Eris! What do I need and how many yards! OMG they have an aran weight on sale in a nice color! Oh, what about the loopy frilled jacket - Oh, they have a pretty creamy one that would look amazing in that pattern. And that cool cabled scarf from Hello Knits that you are planning on learning cables on - the tweed! Click, click, click - they are all in my shopping cart. Click, click, click - there's my shipping address. Do I have to tell B? Do you think he would notice a couple dozen new balls of yarn in the house? Maybe if I bring them home a little at a time...He just got a new cue. Surely this is only fair?
Done. I can't take it back. The order has been placed. I even have the confirmation email all ready. I don't feel bad. I feel giddy. I can't wait to touch it all. I wonder how soon it will get here? I can't keep this to myself. I have to tell someone about this. It isn't fair to keep this a secret. Besides I will feel better if someone else does what I just did. It means I'm not the only one. And what is this about anyway? Yarn? That's rediculous. It's yarn. Two years ago, I would have laughed out loud. Now, I understand. It's yarn. Of course you need 25 balls of yarn. Who doesn't?
As fast as my fingers could click I looked at the yarn on sale. And let me tell you. These weren't just the ugly ones left. OMG. The had the tweeds! The ones that I keep petting at every LYS I visit but never buy. And not only that, they were half off! I started freaking out - I better hurry before they are all gone - If I wait they will be gone!
Then I started thinking about Eris - Oh Eris! What do I need and how many yards! OMG they have an aran weight on sale in a nice color! Oh, what about the loopy frilled jacket - Oh, they have a pretty creamy one that would look amazing in that pattern. And that cool cabled scarf from Hello Knits that you are planning on learning cables on - the tweed! Click, click, click - they are all in my shopping cart. Click, click, click - there's my shipping address. Do I have to tell B? Do you think he would notice a couple dozen new balls of yarn in the house? Maybe if I bring them home a little at a time...He just got a new cue. Surely this is only fair?
Done. I can't take it back. The order has been placed. I even have the confirmation email all ready. I don't feel bad. I feel giddy. I can't wait to touch it all. I wonder how soon it will get here? I can't keep this to myself. I have to tell someone about this. It isn't fair to keep this a secret. Besides I will feel better if someone else does what I just did. It means I'm not the only one. And what is this about anyway? Yarn? That's rediculous. It's yarn. Two years ago, I would have laughed out loud. Now, I understand. It's yarn. Of course you need 25 balls of yarn. Who doesn't?
Truely Loopy
In checking out the new Knit Picks catalog (I have a really hard time with their website - but love the catelog) I found a cool scarf pattern called the Madison Scarf that is supposed to be good for people learning lace. I've made some holes in the past (both intentional and accidental), but never anything that was considered lace. So, I thought what the heck.
I also really liked this colorway of their Andean Silk Twist. It's called Poppy Field and has two shades of green, a cream and orange. I'm sure the lace would show up better in a solid color, but I liked this yarn, so that's what I got. The yarn is so soft and I love how the four colors melt together but still have a life of their own.
Last night I played around with the gauge and then officially cast on for the scarf. The problem was that I was thoroughly settled in on the couch (complete with pooper on lap) when I realized I had no idea what a sk2p was. I really didn't want to get up and check and it wasn't in the SnB book which was within reach. So I thought I could figure it out on my own. Surely the letters have to stand for the same things all the time right? Right. I knew what a skp was, so I figured a sk2p must be when you knit 2 stitches before you go back and pass over the the slipped stitch. But I kept getting two more stitches when I finished the row. So then, forgetting that I had made up the definition of sk2p, I decided that the pattern must be wrong. That the pairs of yos must be off.
This led me to try various versions of the pattern stitches while eliminating different yos before I realized that the pattern was just fine and that really what I needed to do was get up off the couch and watch one of those shnazy little videos that answer all the knitting questions you ever had. So I did, although Jenny wasn't all that happy about losing her lap. Humbled, I returned to the couch, ripped out the lace work and started over. At least now it looks like the picture on the pattern.
I also really liked this colorway of their Andean Silk Twist. It's called Poppy Field and has two shades of green, a cream and orange. I'm sure the lace would show up better in a solid color, but I liked this yarn, so that's what I got. The yarn is so soft and I love how the four colors melt together but still have a life of their own.
Last night I played around with the gauge and then officially cast on for the scarf. The problem was that I was thoroughly settled in on the couch (complete with pooper on lap) when I realized I had no idea what a sk2p was. I really didn't want to get up and check and it wasn't in the SnB book which was within reach. So I thought I could figure it out on my own. Surely the letters have to stand for the same things all the time right? Right. I knew what a skp was, so I figured a sk2p must be when you knit 2 stitches before you go back and pass over the the slipped stitch. But I kept getting two more stitches when I finished the row. So then, forgetting that I had made up the definition of sk2p, I decided that the pattern must be wrong. That the pairs of yos must be off.
This led me to try various versions of the pattern stitches while eliminating different yos before I realized that the pattern was just fine and that really what I needed to do was get up off the couch and watch one of those shnazy little videos that answer all the knitting questions you ever had. So I did, although Jenny wasn't all that happy about losing her lap. Humbled, I returned to the couch, ripped out the lace work and started over. At least now it looks like the picture on the pattern.
Monday, November 07, 2005
Major "turning" point!
Saturday, November 5, 2005: My first-born sock now has a heel! Yippeee!!! Julia was kind enough to help me document this momentous day. I was giddy with excitement, as you may or may not be able to tell by this photo. A big day. A big day indeed! :)
Sunday, November 06, 2005
Morning Hike
I've taken this weekend fairly easy and it has been really nice. I have spent a fair amount of time lounging about, but each day I also got a little something done. For instance, I am all caught up on my filing (after this I will start my Quicken entries which are sure to take several days to finish) and I even put some of my clutter away.
One of the highlights this weekend was the hike I took with my friend. We have been trying to get together for a while but our trip schedules and normal life have made that a little difficult. I've also been wanting to try this hike for a while too, but I was a bit scared of it. She said the first time she did it was when she was with her friend who used to do marathons and that she would have turned around if it hadn't been for her friend. Well, I'm no marathon runner and my friend is definitely in better shape than I am. But, I told myself if she can do this hike 7 months pregnant, surely I can do it too!
We went on the Cowles Mountain hike to the summit. This area is part of the Mission Trails Regional Park in San Diego. It's a beautiful area that really features the local plants and animals, and always amazes me how close I am to such a large open and mostly undisturbed area. Anyway, it was a great hike and because we talked all the way up, I wasn't paying attention to how steep anything was or how far up we were getting. It ended up taking about an hour and 15 minutes to go up and down (with the down obviously being much faster). I highly recommend this hike for anyone, besides if 2 toy poodles can make it up and down, so can you.
I spent the rest of the afternoon on a bit of LYS hop. I've been wanting to check out Knitting in La Jolla for a while and finally made it over there Friday afternoon. The place was totally cute and had some super nice girls working there. My main purpose of going was to see if someone could recommend a good reference book for color work since SnB is very light on the subject. When I mentioned that I was working on the WGS, everyone went - oh! I love that bag! Which made me smile. They even told me I should bring it back to show them when I was done. I just wish the place was a little bigger so it could offer more of a place to hang out in - I probably would have stayed all day. So far, my favorite place for a good hanging out vibe in San Diego has been the Grove. Most of the other stores are either fairly crowded or don't offer places to work.
After I left La Jolla I ran by the LYS in Mission Valley to pick up a set of dpns for my SP6 spoilee. That shop had the most wonderful smell of baking cake coming through the walls. Truly heavenly! I wonder if the yarn you buy from them still smells like cake once you bring it home?
Well, I hope you noticed that throughout my LYScapade, I didn't buy one thing! The shop in La Jolla did have some great 1/2 off deals. And I almost bought a couple different things, but I kept thinking about that Freedom Wool. So, I made it home with my checking accound intact.
Which reminds me - if you haven't put your two cents in about my pattern dilmema, please do - I would love to hear everyone's opinion. Hope everyone had a great weekend and isn't suffering too much from the Sunday afternoon blues.
One of the highlights this weekend was the hike I took with my friend. We have been trying to get together for a while but our trip schedules and normal life have made that a little difficult. I've also been wanting to try this hike for a while too, but I was a bit scared of it. She said the first time she did it was when she was with her friend who used to do marathons and that she would have turned around if it hadn't been for her friend. Well, I'm no marathon runner and my friend is definitely in better shape than I am. But, I told myself if she can do this hike 7 months pregnant, surely I can do it too!
We went on the Cowles Mountain hike to the summit. This area is part of the Mission Trails Regional Park in San Diego. It's a beautiful area that really features the local plants and animals, and always amazes me how close I am to such a large open and mostly undisturbed area. Anyway, it was a great hike and because we talked all the way up, I wasn't paying attention to how steep anything was or how far up we were getting. It ended up taking about an hour and 15 minutes to go up and down (with the down obviously being much faster). I highly recommend this hike for anyone, besides if 2 toy poodles can make it up and down, so can you.
I spent the rest of the afternoon on a bit of LYS hop. I've been wanting to check out Knitting in La Jolla for a while and finally made it over there Friday afternoon. The place was totally cute and had some super nice girls working there. My main purpose of going was to see if someone could recommend a good reference book for color work since SnB is very light on the subject. When I mentioned that I was working on the WGS, everyone went - oh! I love that bag! Which made me smile. They even told me I should bring it back to show them when I was done. I just wish the place was a little bigger so it could offer more of a place to hang out in - I probably would have stayed all day. So far, my favorite place for a good hanging out vibe in San Diego has been the Grove. Most of the other stores are either fairly crowded or don't offer places to work.
After I left La Jolla I ran by the LYS in Mission Valley to pick up a set of dpns for my SP6 spoilee. That shop had the most wonderful smell of baking cake coming through the walls. Truly heavenly! I wonder if the yarn you buy from them still smells like cake once you bring it home?
Well, I hope you noticed that throughout my LYScapade, I didn't buy one thing! The shop in La Jolla did have some great 1/2 off deals. And I almost bought a couple different things, but I kept thinking about that Freedom Wool. So, I made it home with my checking accound intact.
Which reminds me - if you haven't put your two cents in about my pattern dilmema, please do - I would love to hear everyone's opinion. Hope everyone had a great weekend and isn't suffering too much from the Sunday afternoon blues.
Friday, November 04, 2005
Serious Problem
Yesterday after spending the majority of the a.m. sleeping (yes, I played hookie after a particular poopy day the day before - feeling much better by the way), I was contemplating getting some knitting done. I was fingering the 2 inch piece of the WGS back and complaining to B that I had to knit approximately 24 more inches of this before I could get on with the rest of it. He said - there's your problem right there. And I said - what? B said - you don't HAVE to knit anything. I said - but I do. it doesn't feel right if I don't. After comparing my knitting with his pool playing, we both agreed that we each had serious compulsions that would never make us millions of dollars but that now preoccupied a large portion of our time.
To further prove that knitting has transformed itself from something that I enjoy to something that I HAVE to do: I saw Julia's post yesterday (where she teased me by showing one of my favorite patterns in some of the most incredible yarn I have ever seen - Twilley's Freedom Wool) and I spent a good portion of the evening figuring out where I could buy that yarn and what I could make with it. Don't get me wrong. I have no place to store this yarn. I technically shouldn't even be buying this yarn right now. But it was all I could do to keep my credit card in the other room safely stowed within my wallet (- online shopping will be the death of me). So, in planning a future yarn purchase, I think I have narrowed my project selection down to these two:
1) Glampyre's Bulky Cabled Sweater.
2) Twilley's Cardigan with Toggle Fasteners.
Neither pattern calls for a ton of yarn, plus each ball isn't really all that expensive and I have found a couple places in the states that sell it.
But then there is also this one: Twilley's Jacket with Loop Stitch Trim. This one calls for a bit more yarn, but I have been in love with loop trim jackets (as both of my girls can attest to) for a while and this one would solve a serious pattern craving and yarn craving in one swift kick. It's actually really wierd I like patterns like this because I am not a very floofy person. But I just love the idea of having big loopy cuffs and a big loopy neck line. It must be my deeply buried inner princess showing her pretty, perfectly make-uped and coiffed head.
I would love some feedback on these patterns to help me narrow my choice. So when the time is right, I can jump on it. After all, I am a planner at heart.
To further prove that knitting has transformed itself from something that I enjoy to something that I HAVE to do: I saw Julia's post yesterday (where she teased me by showing one of my favorite patterns in some of the most incredible yarn I have ever seen - Twilley's Freedom Wool) and I spent a good portion of the evening figuring out where I could buy that yarn and what I could make with it. Don't get me wrong. I have no place to store this yarn. I technically shouldn't even be buying this yarn right now. But it was all I could do to keep my credit card in the other room safely stowed within my wallet (- online shopping will be the death of me). So, in planning a future yarn purchase, I think I have narrowed my project selection down to these two:
1) Glampyre's Bulky Cabled Sweater.
2) Twilley's Cardigan with Toggle Fasteners.
Neither pattern calls for a ton of yarn, plus each ball isn't really all that expensive and I have found a couple places in the states that sell it.
But then there is also this one: Twilley's Jacket with Loop Stitch Trim. This one calls for a bit more yarn, but I have been in love with loop trim jackets (as both of my girls can attest to) for a while and this one would solve a serious pattern craving and yarn craving in one swift kick. It's actually really wierd I like patterns like this because I am not a very floofy person. But I just love the idea of having big loopy cuffs and a big loopy neck line. It must be my deeply buried inner princess showing her pretty, perfectly make-uped and coiffed head.
I would love some feedback on these patterns to help me narrow my choice. So when the time is right, I can jump on it. After all, I am a planner at heart.
Thursday, November 03, 2005
Smokey update
Thank you to everyone for your support of Smokey and her surgery. I am happy to report that she is now at home, recuperating. Unfortunately, the poor thing has a little cone on her head so that she can't mess with the stitches. The cone is doing it's job, but this also results in Smokey not being able to take part in many of the feline activities she normally enjoys. That said, she doesn't seem to be in too much pain, so that's good. According to my sister, "other than the unfortunate cone situation, she seems to be doing okay." Hang in there, Shmokers- I'm sure you'll be back to your spunky self in no time!
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
2 Reasons I am Pissed Tonight
1) A question on Jeopardy gave away the final season ending of Six Feet Under. Boo Jeopardy.
2) Someone dried god-only-knows-what in the dryer causing the whole ventalation system in the laundrey to back up, spew black lint on everything, and clog the rest of the dryers so that all 6 loads of my clothes are still wet. Boo People.
P.S. I ask that no one confirm or deny the Jeopardy question in case I am wrong because I still want to see that episode when it is finally released on DVD.
2) Someone dried god-only-knows-what in the dryer causing the whole ventalation system in the laundrey to back up, spew black lint on everything, and clog the rest of the dryers so that all 6 loads of my clothes are still wet. Boo People.
P.S. I ask that no one confirm or deny the Jeopardy question in case I am wrong because I still want to see that episode when it is finally released on DVD.
A Little Something For Later
In looking around blogdome, I came across one of the truely most beautiful sweater patterns I have ever seen. It's the Eris V-neck Cardigan and Pullover from the girl from auntie. Please check it out if haven't seen it already. Sooooo pretty. I had to buy it immediately.
I'm sure I can handle the sweater work and construction, but the cable work is marked as advanced. Since I have yet to cable anything, I will just have to file this away until I have a couple cable projects under my belt. But, having finally found my inspiration for learning to cable, I'm sure I will be working on something in the very near future.
I'm sure I can handle the sweater work and construction, but the cable work is marked as advanced. Since I have yet to cable anything, I will just have to file this away until I have a couple cable projects under my belt. But, having finally found my inspiration for learning to cable, I'm sure I will be working on something in the very near future.
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
Thank you Secret Pal!!!
I was pleasantly surprised to find a package from my Secret Pal when I got home last night. She had told me it would be coming yesterday, but my postman rarely likes to bring anything to our door and instead opts to leave us one of those pink slips that then requires us to go to the post office. Since this has been the norm lately, that was what I was expecting. I let out an audible "Yay!" when I saw my package leaning up against my door. My husband asked me who it was from and I promptly told him - My Secret Pal. Then he said - Nerd. And I said - Yup.
So to the good part - this is what my ever-so-thoughtful Secret Pal sent me:
3 balls of Peru Chunky Luxury (106) which is a wonderfully soft 70/20/10 Merino/Alpaca/Silk. The color is a beautiful purpley blue. She also sent 2 hanks of a pretty medium blue Araucania Nature Wool (10), a 100% wool from Chile. This wool is neat because each hank is completely unique, so there aren't even dye lots. Fortunately the give you a couple hints on the band on how to blend more than one hank to give an even color. I am really looking forward to seeing how it looks knit up. Other goodies included a set of size 8 dpns, point protectors, and a knitting scrapbooking sticker. She also included a couple patterns, including one for a felted Lopi bag - which will come in super handy for the left-over accent colors from my Weekend Getaway Satchel. Finally, she included this, which has some great bag patterns of all different styles and techniques.
So thank you, thank you, thank you! I love it all and even brought my goodies to show off at my office knitting group today. You're the best!
So to the good part - this is what my ever-so-thoughtful Secret Pal sent me:
3 balls of Peru Chunky Luxury (106) which is a wonderfully soft 70/20/10 Merino/Alpaca/Silk. The color is a beautiful purpley blue. She also sent 2 hanks of a pretty medium blue Araucania Nature Wool (10), a 100% wool from Chile. This wool is neat because each hank is completely unique, so there aren't even dye lots. Fortunately the give you a couple hints on the band on how to blend more than one hank to give an even color. I am really looking forward to seeing how it looks knit up. Other goodies included a set of size 8 dpns, point protectors, and a knitting scrapbooking sticker. She also included a couple patterns, including one for a felted Lopi bag - which will come in super handy for the left-over accent colors from my Weekend Getaway Satchel. Finally, she included this, which has some great bag patterns of all different styles and techniques.
So thank you, thank you, thank you! I love it all and even brought my goodies to show off at my office knitting group today. You're the best!
Smokey
This here adorable kitty is my cat-niece, Smokey (pronounced "Shmokey"). Smokey belongs to my sister LA and brother-in-law (hee hee- still get a kick out of saying that) Rex. Her hobbies include napping on the couch, napping on the bed, and climbing on top of people and sitting in their laps to allow them to pet her. She is the most cuddly kitty known to man (not to mention, the only one I have seemed to have built up any sort of allergy tolerance to- as you know, I am deathly allergic to most cats). Well, Lil' Shmokes is going in for surgery this morning, to remove two small bladder stones. Her doctor said it is a rather routine surgery, but Smokey will still need to remain in the hospital for a couple of days post-surgery, for observation. (Note: This whole experience will be traumatic for her on many levels, but she is quite the spunky one, so I'm sure she will bounce back in no time.) I hope we may keep her in our thoughts today and wish her a speedy recovery! Hang in there, Shmokes!
Wendy at Work
You'll have to excuse the poor quality of the picture since I took it at my desk yesterday while at work. Because I didn't want to wear a full face mask all day at work or at the Halloween party Saturday night (which would have seriously impaired my ability to get food into my mouth), I opted for a two part mask combo. You will notice my beautiful flowing locks to the side (really a dog head with the ears pinned down) and my pink beret on top. Then I would just stick my mask in front of my face when I wanted to be in character - which wasn't often.
I was really excited about the idea of this costume, but was pretty must over it after the party last weekend. Oh well. Now I have one ginormous pink beret that will probably get recycled back into the balls from which it came. B on the other hand now has a very "stylish" Stan hat (he was evil Stan from a parallel universe), which although I doubt he will ever wear on his own, it came out cute so I can't bear to rip it out.
I was really excited about the idea of this costume, but was pretty must over it after the party last weekend. Oh well. Now I have one ginormous pink beret that will probably get recycled back into the balls from which it came. B on the other hand now has a very "stylish" Stan hat (he was evil Stan from a parallel universe), which although I doubt he will ever wear on his own, it came out cute so I can't bear to rip it out.
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