Growth

For the most part, I feel pretty normal. I don't think of myself as someone who has a exteme preoccupation with anything in particular. There are lots of things that I'm interested in. I love music and movies. I love my husband and my doggie. I love being outside and seeing new things. I also love knitting. Somehow, it is the knitting that really draws everyone's attention - when I'm away from my knitting circle friends that is - and I don't really understand why. No one thinks it's strange when someone pulls out a book and reads while they are waiting for something. It's practically the same thing only I can still carry on a conversation while I am knitting. This week I got laughed at for bringing my knitting bag to an office luncheon. I got laughed at for making a towel. And I got several comments like "what are you knitting now?" and "you're always knitting". What the heck?

And then I realized that maybe it is a little weird. I do talk about it a lot, which fortunately I am blessed with non-knitting friends and family who put up with it. But am I all that different from a football fan during football season? However, I also realized that there are some things I do that may seem a bit odd to the outside world. Like the fact that today I carried around my Simple Knitted Bodice swatch. I don't mean I put it in my purse. I mean, it was my binkie for the day.

Basically, I played with it and flipped it around while I was worked or thought through an "argument". There was actually something very comforting about this and I found that my shoulders weren't in knots by the end of the day. But more importantly, I learned something about my swatch. It grew. It grew way more than I expected. Before washing, it was knit perfectly to gauge. After washing and playing, it went from 5 stitches per inch to 4 stitches per inch! The row gauge had a similar growth. This is huge - it is the difference between my sweater fitting me or fitting B. Personally, I think the purple would look better on me. So, I am back to knitting another swatch...and getting some more sideways glances from my co-workers.

The fabric was pretty, but there is definitely some room to tighten up - especially if it likes to grow. However, what I'm confused about is the gauge in the pattern. They highlight the fact that the pattern accounts for the growth of the silk and if you substitute, to be aware of this and check your gauge accurately. But the gauge seems to actually result the finished measurements of the sweater, so I don't see where there is room for the growth. Could this be right? I would think that if I am making the size for a 34 inch bust, the pattern would have me knit something slightly smaller, so when it relaxes it would fit properly. But it looks like I would end up with approximately a 34 inch sweater. Hmmm....

Oh well, this is probably one of those times that I am just reading too much into it. I do have to say that I really do like the look of the Cotton Twist, but the nylon strands are a bit tricky. I will have to pay attention to those really carefully because they are easy to miss and easy to snag on the following row. But once knit up - it really does provide a nice fake out for the silk.

The betrayal of a sweater

This weekend I made very steady progress on my Green Gable. And Sunday night I (finally) bound off. That was when my pleasant, relaxing Sunday evening screeched to a hault and the cussing began.

It's too small...way too small. Although I had perfect gauge, at some point I moved from 5 stitches to the inch to 5 1/2. It's so tight that the extra length I added (2 inches by the way) got eaten up as it got stretched out horizontally. B didn't help any by saying that it looked good to him. Of course he would think that, considering it was now a crop top and you could see, um, well, everything through the knit. Ugh!!! And I was so looking forward to this being something I could wear all the time.

And yes, I know you can try this on as you go. And I did... once. It was a little small under the arms, but I figured I was at the widest point of the sweater and everything else seemed to fit like it was supposed to. I figured nothing would really change while I worked the body. Man, I'm still pissed. I could "fix" it by taking out the ribbing, adding even more length and then binding off again in a larger needle. But, I've already decided that I don't want something that I am not going to *love* to wear. I'll probably need to give it a couple days, but I plan to take it all out and do it over properly. It may end up being my spring knit, but I won't be happy with it at all if I just try to make it work.

On the other hand, I am super happy that the Sexy Knitters Club just voted the Simple Knitted Bodice to be one of the next knit along patterns. I am really looking forward to knitting this and now I have a free slot in my active project list. Also, in the next couple weeks before the SKB knit along and the start of Eunny's Vest class, I am going to try to make some significant progress in some of my other projects. I think I will try to make a weekly goal to knit so much of this and so much of that. I still have half of my Cable 8 to finish which should really only take a couple days of knitting since it is such a large gauge. A couple of my other projects can easily be segmented up into progress chunks, too. I'm actually really excited to see some of these things gradually marked off the WIP list and added to the FO list.

I demand a weekend refund!

The weekend disappeared into thin air. Vanished. Poof! I helped LA and Rex with their big move into their new condo, which took up most of the weekend. I was happy to help, of course (even though it means they now live in the Valley and a good 30 some miles away from me now, as opposed to 6), but by late Saturday night, after two days of packing, moving, and baby sitting, I was pooped!

Sunday was spent going on our weekly grocery shopping expedition, an extra long dog walk, and giving Dakota a bath. Finally, after all that was done, I was able to veg out for a while and complete the heel turning on both yet-to-be-named Crusoe socks.

I must say, I'm quite enjoying this "knit both socks at the same time, kind of" process. I initially decided to try this, not only in an attempt to deter the dreaded SSS, but also to attempt some sort of tension consistency with the two socks. So far, it's working like a charm!

And there's more homegrown goodness sprouting in the yard! No, your eyes do not deceive you- those are not one, but two more eggplants growing! I was beginning to worry we'd only see the one, but we seem to be witnessing a nasubi resurgence! I'm so excited! And, I don't know how well you can see it in the photo, but those yellow things in there are yellow squashes - three - that look just about ripe for the pickin'!

In totally unrelated news, Grey's Anatomy didn't win a single Emmy! What's up with that?

My Bad

Maybe there is something to that theory that the new baby doesn't come until you are able to finish their little gift. The Yarn Harlot talks about it all the time and the last baby she was knitting for arrived as soon as she finished her sweater. Well my N/N just doesn't want to come. It is allowing my sister-in-law to be extremely productive while she waits, but I know she is anxiously awaiting N/N's arrival. She thought (s)he might come last Wednesday, but that didn't happen. That is when I realized it was all my fault! I didn't finish seaming the sweater last Saturday! I left it on the coffee table while I preoccupied myself with my cheerful green and blue towel (although at least I have a good excuse for the delay). So first thing on my list of stops to make on my day off yesterday was to the button shop.

It was amazing how that although there are completely equal amount of all three colors in this sweater, green buttons made the entire thing look green. Yet blue and yellow were just nice accent colors. At this point I think I like the look of the yellow the best, but there is one problem...

This may be the cutest button EVER. And what is the chance that I will make something else in which this button will look so at home and happy? So, I guess I have some finishing to do today, so that N/N will finally join us. ;-)

Also, I am playing the weighing game with the Dakota socks. Of the 4.5 oz. ball of lightweight Obsidian Socks that Rock, I have about 2.5 ozs. left. I am really close to starting the toe.

So I am thinking that I should *hopefully* have enough. But this is going to be a squeaker. Why do men's feet have to be so big? And these aren't even for a man with particularly big feet. I guess worst case, these socks will end up with black toes :-)

Finally, thank you for your kind thoughts for Jenny. She seems to be responding well to the medicine and has been taking it easy. She is definitly not herself, but she did bark at the Kitty again and she is stretching a little when she gets up in the morning. The good news is that she seems to really be enjoying her little doggie bed and has been hanging out in it most of the time.

Well, that's all for me today. Hope you all have a very nice weekend!

pikme-up

Focusing on the good - seems to be helping shoo away the funk. So, let's continue on that path, shall we? Cheerfulness. I will bring it.

I thought I would share my current favorite afternoon treat, in case you, too, are in need of a little cheer- afternoon or otherwise. It's a pretty simple concoction, really: a cup of my favorite genmaicha tea mixed with a teeny bit of milk and the Coffee Bean's famous vanilla powder. It's the perfect 4 o'clock pick-me-up. Hey, does anyone remember the pikme-up on 6th? It was a hole in the wall coffee shop. just a few blocks down the street from a couple of my apartments backintheday; we used to walk there. Talk about a funky little joint! And just now, as I was googling, trying to find an old picture or something for show & tell, I discovered there is a documentary about it! Might need to check it out, since I'm now waxing nostalgic about the pre-Starbucks days of the funky coffee shop hangouts we would frequent that are no longer with us, like the pikme-up and the Onyx on Vermont. Good times.

And speaking of good times, I was able to work on one of my yet-to-be-named Crusoe socks last night while B and I watched on TV as the Padres swept the Dodgers! (You didn't think we'd switch alliances just because we moved, did you? I mean, really.) Just as the Padres were getting out the brooms, I turned the heel of the first sock. Yay! Too late for pictures last night, so stay tuned. :)

Another fun thing I stumbled upon recently is Zafu, and you may want to check it out if you ever have a problem finding jeans that fit. What's that you say? What woman has ever had that problem?? Um, yeah. It asks you a few questions about your body type, the style and cut of jeans you like best, and how jeans normally fit you, and then provides you recommendations for brands and styles that would fit you best according to your answers. I don't know, but I do know that shopping for jeans is such a pain in the ass (no pun intended), I'm willing to give this a whirl!

And because pictures of cute babies are never a downer, I leave you with a picture of Miss Kyra, chillin' in her bouncy seat. Happy Thursday!

PS: Freckles. I don't really notice them...until I see myself in photographs. I'm not sure when I accumulated so many freckeles, but there you have it.

Cheerful-ish

I decided to take a cue from Nonnahs and focus on something that makes me happy...because right now, I'm not very happy. I'm not happy because I have a very sad doggie. That discontent that Jenny was experiencing at the end of last week decided to culminate in a full blown back-attack. She has been super healthy for the last 4 years, which we attribute to her regular doses of glucosamine. But, a week or so ago, we slipped a little. We ran out and it was a couple days before we got to the store before it closed. We didn't really think it would make much of a difference, but last night, she started getting really bad. She would wimper just trying to sit down and she even abandonded her Monday night Greenie...I told you, she is not happy.

B took her to her vet this afternoon, who seemed to think that because we caught it so early on, she will recover following a regimen of steriods and muscle relaxers. This also means that she will most likely exchange her svelt figure for one that is a bit more tater tot-ish, since she will be getting some wet dog food to help her, umm, poop a little easier. (In the past her back legs have wasted away and she had trouble standing up through a normal, umm, poop.).

Ok, sorry, I know some of you are not furpeople-people, but to those who are, you know how difficult it is to see your friend having such a hard time. So, I am compensating. I pulled out some wonderfully bright and happy cotton and am making a Mason Dixon Ballband hand towel. B commented that the dish rag that I made at our SnB retreat would be perfect if it was a little bigger. And for what we use to clean and wash with around our house, this is very true.

So, I added a couple more "bricks" to the width of the cloth and will make it probably twice as long. I am using Hot Blue Sugar'n Cream for the accent and Summer Splash for the main color. I know this is also one of those project you usually don't take a progress photo of because it knits up so quick, but it makes me happy whenever I see it. And today, this humble piece of cotton enabled me to get through my 10 hour work day without bursting into tears...more than once.

Well, that's all for me. I'm going to take my sad doggie, happy towel and glass of wine to the couch where I hope to find something to watch on one of our 4 TV channels.

In Which I Focus on Things That Are Fun

Been in a bit of a funk lately. No single reason to point the finger at, more just an amalgamation of funk-causing agents ganging up on me all at once. Hate it when that happens! Therefore, in keeping with my funk-busting plan of attack, we will focus fun things today. Ready? Okay! Let the fun parade begin!

1. Pure sock love. My yet-to-be-named Crusoe socks in progress. Koigu, first of all, but then look at these colors! These are some glee-inducing socks right here, people!

I almost don't want to work on these too much, because I don't want to finish them. Silly, right? The thing is, they're so much fun! Just watching all the colors emerge with each stitch...I know, I need to get out more...But, I ask you: Does it get much better than this? Nope didn't think so!

2. Red patent leather flats. Oh boy! Because I love my black pair so much and because I am my mother's daughter, I finally broke down and got a pair in red, too. (Tangent: I vaguely remember a storybook I had when I was little - The Elves and the Shoemaker, perhaps - all I remember was that there was a picture of bright red shoes in it. I had a dream one night that I had those shoes (See? The love for shoes- it dates way back!) and I even thought I had them when I woke up, only to discover it was all just a dream. That was my first brush with the kind of dreams that seem real. Talk about heartbreak!) Now I have me some bright red shoes that make me I feel like I'm about 6 years old when I'm wearing them (only 30 years off)!

3. 80's Mix CD. Dee, my sister from another mother, sent me a most delightful CD of 80's songs. She included many popular faves, as well as a few I had completely forgotten about. A more with-it woman would include a song list here, but until I can get it together long enough to write it down, you'll just have to take my word for it- it is good!

4. Last, but certainly no least on the fun list: our blog makeover! We've been talking about it for quite awhile now, tired of our old look and feeling as though it didn't say much about our personalities. One thought was to unveil our new look for our blogiversary in April, though that was obviously not meant to be. But, better late than never! Eventually we'd like to venture into a home all our own, but for now we'll work the Blogger beast to its (or our) fullest potential. Thanks so much for all the comments - we really appreciate it! It feels so good to have a fresh face! Dare I say- we're bringing sexy back.*

* Not as blatantly as J. Timberlake, to be sure, but we can try.

An Unlikely Model

For the 6th and final Amazing Lace challenge, I searched far and wide for the most unlikely model for Forest Floor. I briefly contemplated the hot dog vendor at my office or maybe one of the BMX riders B rides with. But in the end, Forest Floor was hesitant to get greasy or sweaty in the name of this competition. Then it hit me. The "it" sculpture.

This lovely piece of artwork is a true "Dis-creation". Constructed as part of the office nerd Olympics I often participate in, "It" ended up coming out looking nothing like the image in my head. And as the clay dried, "It's" face became more and more lop-sided and disturbing. But, I made it and it just seems odd to chuck it into the garbage. So, against all sensibilities, "It" is proudly displayed among our other "treasures" in our dining room display case. Yup. We get to look at this beauty for every meal...maybe that is why we end up eating on the couch most nights...

Well, needless to say "It" was so delighted to finally take center stage, that it really got into the whole modeling experience. Forest Floor was only mildly amused, but put up with its shenanigans.

And now that we are at the end of the Amazing Lace Challenges, it is time to award the final point in Team Distopia's lace-off. Although Oceania is now a beautiful finished object and that should really be worth something, Forest Floor has tempted me once again with her softness and striking color. Plus, she did just get draped across a pretty strange looking sculpture. So, with that being said, the final, and winning point, goes to Forest Floor.

Point Total:
Oceania - 2
Forest Floor - 3

The challenges have been fun and I am pretty sure I will never look at my lace in the same way again! Thanks to Theresa and Rachel for hosting this fun little activity.

Short Rows Aplenty

This week I have been physically exhausted. I feel like I have nothing to talk about because all I'm doing is working...and I'm pretty sure most of you wouldn't find the finer points of employment immigration all that interesting, although get me started and I could talk for hours. I haven't been knitting as much as I would like to this week because my hands have been bothering me as well. I think all the hours at the office have taken their toll and when I knit it exacerbates the problem. I'm trying out a new wrist pad for my keyboard and I am hoping that does the trick. Fortunately, this little project has required a bit of finishing. I feel I have been able to make some progress on my projects without it bothering my hands.

There's also been a whole lotta a short rows going on around here. Not only did the little shawl collar above use short rows, but I also made my first short row heel. I'm fairly new to short rows and I don't know yet how to use them for shoulder shaping or bust shaping, but I am learning a bit about their contruction and enough to recognize that there was a pretty big error in the pattern for the shawl collar above. When I checked the errata page on line for Debbie Bliss patterns, there it was, just like I thought.

I'm pretty proud of this heel as well. It is a little pointy at the tip of the heel, but I think between blocking and it being on the larger foot that it is intended to fit, it will work itself out. I also have to apologize for the pictures. I finally got some daylight today, but of course I waited until 6:30 to take photos and at my place that is practically night time.

Finally, I got my hands on some of Scout's Hand-painted Swag yarn this week. I picked up a hank of the superwash merino in Harlot's Mums that is some of the softest sock yarn I've touched. The colors are so pretty and I can't wait to see it knit up.

The part I'm most excited about is that she does custom orders and man can that girl put some colors together. She put up examples of some of her most recent custom orders and they are fabulous!

Face Lift

A Little Loopy has had herself an extreme makeover. After much contemplation, much trial and error, we have finally customized our little blog to reflect a little more of our own personality.

I have to personally give "mad props" to Nonnahs and her B for our new look. If you read us through Bloglines, please stop by and take a gander!

Full Disclosure

WARNING: This post contains photos of clutter. Welcome to my world.

It doesn't seem to matter how hard I try, my coffee table always looks like this.

Most of this stuff I can't put away, because I'm in the middle of a project. The second it goes to the "yarn closet", I'll need it again, so I better keep it handy, right? It's no wonder every so often B mentions that maybe I should try to finish something. I don't take it personally, I have taken over nearly every open surface in the house for yarn "storage".

But I do have some new found motivation to finish some things. Summer will be over before I know it and Cable 8 will hardly take any time to finish. My Niece/Nephew (N/N) is nearly ready to join us and the first baby sweater is almost done. So, what did I do? I started swatching for a new project.

This is Kona Bay Cotton (100% Pima cotton) in "Teal" but this photo is actually a pretty good representation of the color, not what I typically think of as teal. In fact, in college my dream car (that never materialized) was a Toyota Tercel of a similar shade. Knitzalot couldn't stop saying enough nice things about this cotton, so I decided to give it a try. I also started to see it transformed into the same shape as one of my favorite Gap tank/tees. It should be a very easy shape to make into a knitted garment and it will give me practice designing something for myself. I'm sure there is a pattern just like what I have in mind out there already, but that's not really the point.

Finally, this is not a picture of the soy sauce stain on the carpet by the front door (don't ask, it takes real talent). I finally caught Jenny during her evening "exercise". If you click on the picture and make it a little bigger, you can see that her left ear is flying in the air and she has a huge grin on her face.

The angle she is at also gives some idea of how fast that little doggie was tearing around the house, since she was just coming out of a high speed U-turn. The best part about this picture is that I took it tonight, which means Jenny is feeling good. Last night and earlier today she wasn't herself. She seemed to not feel well and just wanted to lay around. The worst was that she seemed nervous to jump up on the couch and waited for us to help her up. We were really afraid that she had hurt her back again and the thought of her being laid up for months again made me so sad. It's been three years since the last time and we have been hoping that her daily glucosamine pill might keep away a relapse. Tonight she is so much better that I am starting to think maybe it was more of a passing illness than back problems, but we'll make sure she takes it *fairly* easy for a couple days to be sure.

Knitting for babies

Is there really anything better? I recently found myself with the perfect "excuse" for whipping up a quick pair of booties. I attended a baby shower (really just a small luncheon) on Saturday for my friend C, who is pregnant with her first baby, and who was in town visiting from New York. I hadn't initially planned on knitting anything for the shower, because it was kind of a last minute thing, but then I found myself with some extra time and motivation on Friday, which resulted in these:

The game plan: Browse through my books and my stash and see what, if anything, I could make in a jiffy. The result: A pair of "Classic Cashmere Booties" (knit instead in Karabella Aurora 8 in off white) from Erika Knight's wonderful book, Simple Knits for Cherished Babies. Though the pattern was written with cashmere or cotton in mind, I figured the yummy softness of the Aurora 8 would be a nice, comfy alternative, and appropriate for the winter climate back east. I also knew that C would appreciate its 100% merino goodness.

Knitting these were a joy, and I have to say, I think I have found my new "go-to" baby bootie pattern of choice. I've made several pairs of booties now, and these are definitely my favorite to date. The pattern was extremely well written and easy to follow, the booties are beautifully constructed, and well...they're just so freaking cute!

The shower, organized by C's sister, was lovely. Several of us (who really only get together when C is in town) met up at the Viceroy in Santa Monica for lunch. Seeing C always reminds me of how much I miss her (she moved to New York just as I moved back to LA)- it was so great to see her and the other girls again and catch up. We even got cute favors!

What a fun afternoon! Oh, and then I couldn't leave without taking a picture of myself in the ladies room (I don't think I ever have, nor ever will again say those words), since I blended in so well with the decor. Ha! (Can you find me?)

Distraction

I don't know how better a way to describe the last week that with "distraction". It seems that everything I picked up to work on had some silly little issue with it that required me to look up something. This wouldn't normally be a problem, except the 50+ hours weeks are starting to take their toll on my ability to concentrate once I get home. (Theresa how do you do it?) I just want to sit and work stockinette, round and round. Which is really a perfect dilemma to have right now because I happen to have a few projects that require a bazillion stockinette stitches.

But, then sometimes in the middle of all that stockinette, you have to change colors. Now, I think the last time I actually had a round project that required a color change was about a year ago when I was working on Starry Night Kyoto. I believe we were on our last retreat actually when that first came up. The only reference book I had at the time was the Stitch 'n Bitch book and while it is a great book to get you started, it obviously can't tell you how to do EVERYTHING. So, I just made something up and so what if I didn't have a perfect jogless jog.

The problem is that now I do care. I am trying to learn good technique (as much as possible) and I am trying not to take the easy road when I come to something. After the recent fair isle class that I took at the Grove, I now know that there are correct ways to change colors, strand, carry, etc. And while my Fakey McFakerton techniques get the job done, they obviously have their telltale errors as well. So instead of just starting up my new color, I thought I would take the time to look up how to minimize the effect of the color change. I happen to come across this post, that talks about this post, which was very timely. But to tell you the truth, aparently my brain wasn't in a good *place* to take it all in. I tried doing what I think they said to do, but it looked gross. I even tried the google search suggested and that brought up more questions than answers. But in the end, I got this:

It's not perfect, but then even in Nona's discussion, she mentions that you can still see that *something* is happening, but it's not as bad as the jog. So, what did I end up doing? Practically nothing. I added a new color as described in Vogue Knitting, where you put the old color in and then the new, knit both in that stitch, then you knit with both ends of the new at the same time for a few stitches. That's it! I think the fact that there is a wee bit of the old color in the first stitch of the new color helps smoosh together the jog line. The only thing I feel I need to do now is loosen up that pulled in stich a bit. Hmmm. I think that still makes me Fakey McFakerton, but at least I did the research, tried things, and I'm satisfied with the results.

The other problem I encountered this week was with my Green Gable. It is coming along nicely, it knits up beautifully, the color (Silver Plum) is great, the new KnitPicks needles are mostly great, but my hands hurt.

It's funny, living in Southern California I knit with a lot of knitters who knit alot of cotton. I'm pretty sure there has not a knitting group get together without the hand cramping qualities of cotton coming up. The thing is, I had NEVER had that problem before. My hands only cramped after too much knitting in general, but I could never associate it with the particular fiber I was working with. Not this time. Cotton Fleece makes my hands hurt. I love this yarn, but ouch! I can only work for a few rounds before my hands start bugging me, which isn't the greatest thing to find out when you are in the middle of those fun raglan increases. Oh well, this project will just have to take a little long than I thought is was going to take.

If only I were doing this today:

I am currently battling a pesky case of the blahs and a big fat headache. I won't bore-slash-burden you, my friends, with the details of either. I will say, however, that I am one hundred percent certain that if I were off somewhere (preferably under a palm tree) with either the adorable Crusoe socks you see here, or my rejuvinated shawl, I'd be a much happier camper right now. As it is, I guess I will have to settle for a second cup of green tea, another dose of Excedrin migraine tablets, and more silly pipe dreams...

Buttons, handles and wierd coinky-dinks

Yesterday I went to Joann's in Laguna Hills and bought a button for Tempting II and a purse handle. If you want a good, inexpensive selection of buttons and purse handles, this is a good place to shop.

Have you ever met a person who on first impression seems so different from you, yet you realize how strangely alike you are? As an example, my co-worker: 1) we both knit (she goes a step further and leads a Stitch-n-Bitch group); 2) she loves camping/backpacking; and finally, the craziest coincidence...3) both of our sisters prepare our breakfast...steel cut oats from Trader Joe's. How wierd is that? Steel cut oats, by the way, are good for you. A bit nutty-tasting, and better for your health than the sweet packets of microwaveable Quaker Oats.

K and I will be leaving for Sequoia National Park next week for some camping and backpacking...I'm so excited!!

Inspiration

I had a great time this past weekend. Common Threads in Encinitas was having their annual balloon sale, so a few of us Rebecca's regulars went up first thing Saturday morning. The sale's a little strange because you don't know what percentage you are going to get until you pop the balloon you picked at check out time. You can save at least 10% off and up to 50% with obviously there being a whole lot less 50% off balloons. This means that it is a good sale for things that you are going to pick up anyway, but few deep discounts. I went with the intension of looking for the main color yarn for Glampyre's new pattern available at the Stitch Diva.

I loved this sweater the first time I saw it and liked it even more when I realized that I would have a chance to use the hank of Rock Star I picked up a couple months ago. I knew that I needed to find a good substitution for the main body color since I couldn't afford to knit it in all silk. Unfortunately, it also calls for one more hank of Rock Star, which most likely meant I had to find some other kind of substitution for that as well.

The moment of inspiration hit me when I saw the selection of Rock Star Common Threads had in stock. They had a really pretty varigated colorway in purple, olive, blue and gray (it's actually "Ritz" 103 not "Rock Star", but really, it's practically the same thing). I also stumbled upon a hank of Cotton Twist in the exact purple (Soul 8387) as in the Rock Star hank. With the second hank of Rock Star I could tie together the original hank of olive Rock Star with the purple Cotton Twist.
The purple Cotton Twist has a bit of Rayon in it that gives it a sheen and a pretty close fake out to the silk that it is supposed to be. It will also give the body of the sweater a bit more interest than a truly solid color since I wasn't planning on knitting the main color in a varigated shade like the original.

Needless to say I am super excited to get started, but I need to get some of these WIPs done to free up some of my needles. It is starting to get out of control. I also want to take the time to do this project right. Knitzalot clued me in on the Crafter discussion about substitution yarn, which has focused on the fact that the pattern gauge accounts for the tendencies of the silk to ease out. My cotton won't behave that exact way, so I'll have to do some research so I get this right.

After the sale Knitzalot, Cora and I headed out to lunch after a brief stop by Two Sisters and Ewe. I had never been there and we wanted to check out their collection of Cotton Fleece. They have a great selection of Cotton Fleece and Lamb's Pride in a ton of colors I had never seen in person. The best part is that I found out that this yarn shop was a couple of doors down from B's Billiard shop, so I will no longer be hanging out in the car while he runs in!

We ended up arriving a bit late to Rebecca's but were happy to see that Theresa had been able to stop by for a bit and hang out. And Jessica joined back up with us not too long after. Several times that day people made the comment that they were very happy with what they had picked up at the sale. I'm glad I went, but I have so much to keep me busy, I won't "need" anything for a while. ;-)

Holy Crop!

Whoever would've thunk that from these humble beginnings, actual edibles would emerge? It seems like just yesterday when Dis and I planted tiny starter plants. I was optimistic, but didn't hold my breath. After all, this was my first attempt at growing anything other than houseplants or mold in the fridge. I consider myself a fairly astute do-it-yourselfer. I've done handy things around the house, I've built things, I'vepainted things, I've sewn things...but until now, I'd never grown anything I could actually eat!

So without further ado, it is with great pride that I may present my first ever harvested nasubi (Japanese eggplant)!

I cooked it up with some ground turkey, per Nasus' recipe, and savored every bite (keep in mind, there weren't many of those- it was a small nasubi, after all, and I shared it with B).

Next, what do I see growing here? My first cucumber! Aaagh!

Since I took these photos, several yellow squashes have also emerged...it's shocking! Truly, amazing. Sure, they're just just a few phallic vegetable-like fruits growing in a pot, but I'm pleased as punch nonetheless. You really have no idea.

What Lace?

Since the infamous ripping episode, Carmelita is now so small, she is sometimes hard to find.

Barbie: Lace? I don't see any lace.

Silk, Linen and Pearls

Relationships are a funny thing. The longer they last, the more the little things become the big things. It's hard to avoid everyday life and the things that you do day after day, simply so that you can keep living day after day. Everyone knows the whirlwind of an early romance, the butterflies in your tummy, the excitement you feel just to see the other person. And the reward for things going well is that soon you have to do things like unplug the stopped up patio gutter in a rain storm so your living room doesn't flood or contemplate what kind of long term planning you need to do so that you can afford to live the mind boggling number of years you will likely have ahead of you.

But it is in these things that love doesn't have to become burried. Running back into the house sopping wet after successfully unclogging that gutter reminds you of that amazing trip to that Australian island when you got rained on walking home. And planning easily turns to dreaming of the future. It becomes about finding those moments where you least expect them.

B and I have been together for almost 12 years and today marks our 9th anniversary. And it is the little things that I cherish, that make me smile when no one is around, and to take comfort in the companion that I have found.

For example, B is a pool player. His briefcase is his cue case. It goes with him everyday.

Which is why, this makes me so happy everytime I see his case.

When I got those buttons made, he asked if he could have one. I couldn't imagine why he wanted one, but when I saw what he did with it, I smiled. I still smile everytime I see it. And in those moments, I think of him and what he means to me. And I realize that no fancy trip, no gourmet meal, and no bouquet of roses could ever replace those simple little things.

Retreat Workout

As Dis alluded to, this year's summer retreat was not the spa retreat of last year. We did not dine on vitamin packs and broth breaks, nor did we take part in any early morning pilates classes taught by remarkably fit seniors. But that doesn't mean we didn't get our workout on. During a break from our dishcloth project, Dis led us through a series of exercises to relieve our tensioned hands and digits.

Despite the grimaces exhibited below, they were actually helpful, and we really did have a great time!

It would be darn near impossible to imagine an ALL retreat (or get-together of any kind, for that matter) that was anything short of a blast. We went a little low-key this time around, opting to stay close to home, and beginning the ceremonial tradition of sharing our hometowns with each other (I look forward to showing my girls around Hawaii on a future retreat)! After all, you don't always need to venture far from home to have a retreat. Our hotel was adorable (I would definitely stay there again), yummy food was consumed (when is it not, when we are together?) and we were able to explore Manhattan Beach with Dis. (On a personal note, as especially psyched to enjoy a couple of peaceful nights of slumber in air-conditioned space. OMG, what a difference a little A/C makes! Even with all the knitting, food consumption, and exercising (ahem), we still managed to get some much needed R&R. Aah...

Overall, it was just great to spend some quality time together again, since that's such a luxury these days, given our locations and schedules. I am thankful that we remain committed to staying close and getting together as much as possible. To say that I love these girls does not begin to scratch the surface. Truer friends, a girl could not find.

Retreat project

What do you get when you mix 3 girls, 3 pairs of needles and 6 balls of Sugar & Cream cotton yarn? Ballband dishcloths of course! The Mason Dixon Book came along on our retreat and we each knitted up a ballband dishcloth! It was a great project for hanging out, chatting and knitting. The pattern is a lot of fun. It is simple enough you can memorize it, but involved enough to keep you on your toes. Here's a shot before we got started.

And this is what your finger looks like after a few hours of knitting.

We may or may not have stayed up until 1:30 in the morning to finish these up. But look at what we had to show for ourselves! Three, count them, three ballband dishcloths!

Again, I can't say enough great things about this book. It is one of my favorites and is full of great patterns. I am now really glad I picked up one or two (ehem, lier) balls of Sugar & Cream while they were on sale last week at Michaels.

2nd Annual SnB Retreat

Last weekend marked the 2nd Annual SnB Retreat for the girls of A Little Loopy. Last year we headed off to Ojai for a little spa relaxation. This year, to save some time and money, we decided to spend the weekend in Manhattan Beach, Ca. This is the town I grew up in and lived until I was 15.
Manhattan Beach is famous for its pier under which countless beach volley ball and surfing tournaments are held. It was a little overcast, but you could still tell what a great beach it is. We stayed at this cute little hotel called the Belamar, which had been completely redone with a fun and kitschy flair. This was our room.

The only problem being that it didn't have a full portrait of this cute little doggie. This is one of the wall sized portaits adorning the lobby.

Food was definitely a highlight of the weekend and I'm pretty sure we didn't pass an opportunity to eat. We also had a little knitting activity scheduled, which I feel deserves a post of its own. After all, we all managed to leave with a finished object under our belts!

It was fun to see my little town again. Pretty much everthing was different and there seemed to be a lot of empty buildings and retail turnover. But, my old house was still there and a couple of the places we often frequented were still there, including the beach side coffee shop, the Kettle. We all ended up ordering the exact same thing for breakfast Saturday morning, which isn't surprising once you realize that orange marmalade and cream cheese stuffed french toast was involved!