Girl Meets Purl

The parade of small FO's

2007-10-29T18:01:00.000-07:00

I've actually finished the mittens now, they're a gift for my mom whose initials are EBF...In the upper picture we have two socks without mates, two hats, two pairs of fingerless mitts, and hopefully the beginning of me blogging again. I don't have a single sweater on the needles right now, an odd condition for me, but I haven't been knitting all summer so I suppose I'm just starting with the small stuff.
I just got an amazing package in the mail courtesy of my good buddy Kasia, and I've been swatching for a luscious scarf all day. I think I've picked a good stitch pattern and I can't wait to wear it---it's a beautiful day today, but it's getting colder here. I'm wearing my long underwear almost every day now.
Hopefully I'm back on track ladies and gentlemen!

Finished Knits

2007-06-27T09:38:00.000-07:00

Apologies for all of the pics and no text. I am not much of a writer at the moment!

Jess at the ranch in her "new" sweater. (Forecast Sweater originally made for myself, however it's not even a close fit on me. Much too small.) Loved the project though. Loved the yarn (Cascade 220) and loved the buttons.

I can't wait for my next Stephanie Japel project. I only just got Fitted Knits and I can't decide what to knit first. There's a great knit-along...I think it's called the Fitted Knitsalong and the FO's are wonderful and only make deciding on what to knit harder!

Meet Punky

2007-06-27T09:35:00.000-07:00

Sake was not a happy camper, at first.

The Dream House

2007-06-27T09:28:00.002-07:00

The mermaid fountain in the back!

The back house and shop.

More to come!

Spinning!

2007-05-03T19:20:00.000-07:00

All sorts of un-labled and unidentified fiber that I've been spinning up in the in-between times and stolen minutes. The orange is the best I've made so far but I think the blue will soon surpass it as soon as it gets off the bobbin. I love the shine in it--the fiber must be some kind of blend...anyone know what might be causing it? Tencel? Just good quality wool??

Cashmere Cowl and Questionable Socks

2007-04-21T09:43:00.000-07:00

My best friend Chrissy was the first person to give me special yarn for my birthday. It was cashmere and it was in the most perfect shade of pale green and I sat on it for about two years. The thought of knitting something with it was just to much--I didn't want to loose the anticipation of someday knitting with it!

I finally took the plunge and here it is as my version of the Cashmere Cowl in Last Minute Knitted Gifts. My gauge is different but it's her basic pattern without modification. It was amazing to knit with and worth the wait!

I'm having less success with these lace socks that I'm knitting for B's Grandma's birthday. I included the skeined yarn in this picture to show you how beautiful these socks SHOULD be but aren't. I think it's just the wrong marriage of pattern to yarn, but I'm too deep into it now and I'm going to have to finish them. I have to say, I'm really disliking the way the colors of the yarn are striping. I think it's just to much of an angular pattern for this yarn. (I'm enjoying the pattern itself and think it would look great in another type of more solid yarn.)
Oh well. Too late now!

Clapotis

2007-04-21T09:33:00.000-07:00

Here is my finished Clapotis, keeping me warm in the amazing little snowstorm that we woke up to yesterday. By 2:00 the snow had all melted but not before I took some amazing pictures of the ranch. I didn't realize how much I missed the snow until I moved back to Wyoming!

The Hawser Sweater

2007-04-17T20:50:00.000-07:00

Cross posted on the Zimmermaniacs Knit-Along:

This is my Hawser sweater from Knitting Workshop. Knit with Jamieson's Shetland Double Knitting in Eesit. I changed the yoke colors to Eucalyptus, Granny Smith, Sage and Ivy and I love the result. Everything else was knit exactly to EZ's specifications. This was the most enjoyable and fastest sweater that I ever knit and I highly recommend the pattern. I am getting a lot of wear out of it!

I actually finished this sweater a month or two ago but only just got around to getting good pictures of it. This was the sweater that just would NOT photograph well and thus the delay. On to my next Elizabeth Zimmermann project, some sort of EPS sweater for Bryant.

Before & After

2007-04-05T10:36:00.000-07:00

First Wyoming FO's

2007-03-25T16:20:00.000-07:00

Socks That Rock in Moss Agate, Mediumweight, Rock and Weave pattern. Homemade chili, even though it's been very warm here...
And three pillows that I finished sewing this weekend to make our makeshift couch (AKA very uncomfortable futon) more comfortable.

Before and after pics of the apartment to come!

Oh my...

2007-03-15T16:49:00.000-07:00

What a month it has been!
Stitches West, our big move to Cody, and starting my new job managing a guest ranch with my husband. I'm exhausted!
And I haven't been knitting much, but I do have some FO's to show off from before all of the mania.
Plus, before and after pix of our new digs! Stay tuned...

Good-bye Jaywalkers

2007-02-04T18:51:00.000-08:00

Good-bye pretty Jaywalkers that don't fit over my heel, I'll miss your beautiful colorway and interesting stitch pattern.
So sad.
RIIIIIP.

Happy Birthday Bryant!

2007-01-22T08:31:00.000-08:00

Your gift is on the way! (but not done yet!)

I've actually been struggling with this one, so wish me luck.
Busy here, but busy is good!

Christmas Presents

2007-01-08T08:24:00.000-08:00

That I haven't been able to blog about!
First we have some cabled slipper-socks from One Skein, knit with the exact yarn and needles the pattern calls for:
Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted in Cranberry, size 5 DPNs.
This project is for my grandma!

This hat is one of my own design knit for Bryant with some mystery yarn--perhaps Rowan Cork? from my stash. I love the random stripes, but the hat sits too high on his head. I definitely should have started the decreases sooner.

Next up:

This is Swell, from Knitty. I loved this pattern but I had to do some serious m-a-t-h to adjust the pattern to my guage. I had to figure out how to do ratios again! (With some help from my good knitting buddy, Emily!) The pattern was knit at approx. 4 sts/inch. My guage was 5.5 sts/inch! I added another pattern repeat and I like the fabric that I got with my guage (yarn was the called-for Cascade 220, my current Favorite Yarn of All Time).

In non knitting news, I also pulled out the sewing machine to make this cute little number for Chrissy!

It's an Amy Butler pattern called "favorite clutch" that I pulled from the December 2005 magazine, American Patchwork & Quilting. I loved this pattern from the first and I bought the magazine just for this. I finished it off with a vintage earing in the shape of a 'C.' I have to admit, that's my favorite part.

In other Knitting News, I finally found the perfect yarn for this! As they say, I am LATE to the party on this one.

My shinny new wheel

2007-01-05T19:12:00.000-08:00

Here it is in all it's glory! My sweet little wheel. It's a Kromski Sonata and I only just realized that I haven't actually shown a picture of it yet!

Zimmermania, a preview

2007-01-05T08:22:00.000-08:00

Here is a preview of my Hawser sweater that I just finished. I love this sweater!
The light was crappy this morning, and I was by myself, so I plan on getting some great action-model shots this weekend. I loved this knit and had so much fun knitting it, it just flew off the needles as they say! The colors and pattern have such a groovy-retro feel to me and the yarn and pattern were so great. I love the Elizabeth Zimmermann EPS system and her helpful hints along the way. I already have the yarn for my next two (maybe three) EZ sweaters!

Last weekend I learned how to spin!

2006-12-22T08:34:00.000-08:00

Here are the crazy energized singles right off the bobbin:
(they're supposed to be curly like that!)

Here they are hanging in my shower:

I hung water bottles off of each skein to act as a weight and straighten out the curly-q's.

And here are my two little perfect skeins!

Aren't they cute?! Just perfect little skeins with about 27 yards in each! I'm so excited about them and can't wait to knit with them!

Christmas time at Chez Knitter

2006-12-17T10:47:00.000-08:00

Christmas trees, mother-in-law socks and colored lights!

Mother-in-law socks:
"Go with the Flow Socks" from Interweave Knits, Summer 2005 by Evelyn Clark.
Knit in Koigu KPPPM on size 1, two circular needle method.
This is a great design and it knit up so fast! My MIL is a gardener and the purples, browns and greens reminded me of a flower garden.

My knitting circle...

2006-11-16T08:28:00.000-08:00

Aren't they cool?

Two Sweaters a long time in the making...

2006-11-12T15:20:00.000-08:00

Here we have it! Ruben, designed by the amazing Elsebeth Lavold, (Designer's Choice, The Sentimental Journey Colllection, Book Two) and knit in Rowan Calmer, color no.481 (which I think is called Coffee Bean). This was originally my Knitting Olympics Sweater, and as you can see it took a bit longer than 17 days!

This sweater may look like it fits me great--and it does--however this sweater was originally meant for Bryant. I measured Bryant's chest a couple times, measured all of his sweaters, and based on that info, decided to knit the small. Unfortunately, and I think partally due to my yarn choice, this sweater has no chance of fitting Bryant. Calmer is a cotton and acrylic/microfibre blend and it's far to clingy and stretchy for a guy to wear. If I had this to do again I would have knit the bigger size without question or knit this in the yarn called for (or any pure cotton yarn). Cotton is so much heavier...I think had I knit this exact sweater in this exact size with the yarn called for, it would have fit Bryant. Alternatively, had I added a whole additional repeat of the cable pattern before the armhole shaping, I think that would have worked too. Oh well, another sweater for me!

Here we have a great detail of the amazing cables on the front and down the arm. If you're familiar with this pattern, the back of mine only has two cables rather than three. Yeah...ops. I misread the pattern when I knit the back, which was the first piece that I did, but not a terrible mistake because it's perfectly centered.

Here's another sweater that I recently finished! (I'm a finishing fool lately).
Side note: why oh why can I not get pictures to center correctly with blogger!???

This sweater is the Fair Isle Cardigan from Vogue Knitting, originally published in 1951. You can find it in Vogue Knitting Vintage Collection: Classic Knits from the 1930s-1960s. Obviously I've taken out the fair isle (I just wanted a good solid and plain cardigan pattern to work from). This is knit with Rowan Yorkshire Tweed DK in Frolic, and was started about 2 years ago. At least two years ago...maybe more! The ladies of the Long Beach SnB will most likely recognize this project, can you believe it took me so long to finish?
Detail picture of the amazing Moving Mud glass buttons which inspired this sweater. For this cardigan, the buttons definitely came first.

Also, for fun, my sweet Sake bomb!

Have a great week everyone!

More Vintage Socks

2006-10-01T09:14:00.000-07:00

These are the Gentleman's Plain Winter Socks with a Dutch Heel from Nancy Bush's Knitting Vintage Socks.
It's my second pair from this book and I love them even though they're a bit too small for Bryant--I think they'll maybe be a Christmas present for his slightly-smaller footted brother.

Snail Hat

2006-09-28T18:21:00.000-07:00

Yay for Zimmermania!

I knit this hat from Knitting Without Tears in a matter of days! I'm so fast (when it's 2.5 sts/in)!
Check out the Zimmermania webpage for more info.

A Quick FO, a Sheep, and a 590 pound pumpkin.

2006-09-28T18:12:00.000-07:00

So I've been struggling with blogger a little bit (again) and every time I've sat down to post something I haven't been able to upload pictures. So here they are, the cover model from Last Minute Knitted Gifts, a sheep from the Mendocino County Fair and Wool and Fiber Festival, and my favorite winner at the County Fair, a 590 lb pumpkin!

(The pumpkin was a lot bigger than it looks in this picture--this is way out of proportion for some reason.)

A few Noro scarves

2006-09-02T10:11:00.000-07:00

I just finished the purple one last night. The lace one was finished a few months ago but I never blogged about it.

Details: (L to R)

Child's Rainbow Scarf from Last Minute Knitted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson
Knitted on size 9's with Noro Kureyon, two skeins of the same colorway: 148 A
I love this scarf, it's knit in mistaken rib stitch and was a great little break between rows of my Swallow Tail Shawl. (more on that later).

Lopi Lace Scarf from Weekend Kniting, pattern by Pam Allen
I can't remember which needles I knit this with but it's 2 skeins of Noro Silk Garden Lite color 2014 A
Another great scarf, very wearable though the colors go from very earthy tones to very bright blues and pinks. The lace had disappeared in this photo, but it shows up pretty well, and was good practice for me considering that lace used to really scare me!

Does it look bigger?
As you can see, I'm less afraid of lace now. Instead my fear has been replaced by a healthy respect for the entire lace-knitting process.
I think this looks beautiful, but one row took me an hour to tink, do, tink again, and re-do during lunch yesterday. I think I've had three headaches due to this shawl but it has captured all of my attention and passion. I LOVE THIS KNIT.
I think it's incredibly beautiful, and it's hard to work on anything else right now.

2006-09-01T07:49:00.000-07:00

Since someone has accused me of being a tease, please let me explain.

I did not mean to post pix without discriptions, however I was at work and while knitting at lunch realized that if I didn't post those pictures soon (they were sitting in my "drafts" folder) that they would be seriously out of date. As it is I'm almost finished with the Noro scarf (just a few rows to go) and I'm much further along on the Swallowtail Shawl.

My intention was not to tease, but more to preview upcoming FO's. (Hopefully!)

The scary part is that in addition to these projects I also have two adult sweaters, one baby sweater, a hat and two more pairs of socks on the needles.

Besides the shawl (which is so beautiful!) The most interesting project that I'm working on is probably the top down Malabrigo sweater. I'm only at the beginning but it's a classic raglan design (to which I'll add some updated details to) from Barbara Walker's Knitting from the Top. A book I just bought and one that I love!

Just a few WIP's

2006-08-28T08:39:00.000-07:00

Homesick or My Trip to Wyoming

2006-08-28T08:31:00.000-07:00

Last week B and I went home for the first time since Christmas. It had actually been awhile since I had been to Cody in the summertime and it was so Beautiful. I have no words except to say that it made me very homesick for wide open spaces...

These amazing pictures are of my amazing mother-in-law's garden. The barn in the back was the original Cody Dairy and the pond has these amazing giant goldfish living in it!
We were back for their end-of-summer celebration and it was an amazing party--food, people, singing and guitar playing--everything was perfect and I know that's why I'm homesick. If I were there all the time it wouldn't be so perfect every day, would it?
B went bouldering with his brother, pictured here:

How cool is he? People in Wyoming are so interesting and eclectic.
Knitting content tomorrow!

I freakin' love top-down sweaters!

2006-08-07T23:20:00.000-07:00

Yet another Green Gable top...

I'd like to thank the ladies at Zephyrstyle.com for this great pattern. The only annoying thing about it was the cotton content in the yarn. I used the recomended yarn and needles to achieve guage. The only modification was that I added a few inches to the length of the body to cover my LONG torso, and I had to re-knit the bottom ribbing because the first time I didn't knit it tight enough and it kept flipping up which was super annoying.

I've already worn this to work a few times, and I love the color. I think this is one that I'll get a lot of wear out of.

Oh--and between this and the Forecast sweater that I'm knitting--I don't think I can ever go back from top-down sweaters knit in one piece without seams. I even bought myself a little treat and have plans for my stash stewing in this head of mine!

Foot Candy?

2006-07-24T22:12:00.000-07:00

I meant to post eye candy pictures for this Friday afternoon, but I realized that I hadn't yet posted the pictues of my new socks!

These are garter stitch rib socks from Sensational Knitted Socks knit on 2 size 2 circs. The yarn is some of that fancy jojoba and aloe infused yarn that's supposed to soften up your feet for up to 40 washes! (wierd, huh?) Bryant bought the yarn for me on one of his business trips to Chicago earlier this month. Yay new socks! They really do feel amazing on my feet!

Check this out!

2006-07-20T09:51:00.000-07:00

Yay Bart! How cool is this? I had to stop and take a camera phone picture (sorry for the low quality).

GRRRRRRRRRR...

2006-07-19T12:42:00.000-07:00

Why did my most recent post publisth BEFORE my last one????
I don't know how much longer I'll be on blogger. The grass seems greener at typepad!

I bring you...

2006-07-18T08:35:00.000-07:00

Bad and blurry pictures! Of my Heeless Sleeping Socks !

This pattern is from Nancy Bush's Knitting Vintage Socks and this particular pair are now flying their way across the country. Koigu KPPM, knit on size 2 DPNs. They are a belated birthday present for my grandma (who is also a knitter) and I hope she likes them!
They took freakin' forever to knit!

A Quick Knit

2006-07-18T08:23:00.000-07:00

Another FO from LMKG. I cast on for this sweater on Saturday afternoon and cast off Sunday evening. I weaved in ends, did a little stitch grafting and added bead/buttons yesterday and it's finished!

This is knit from Jaeger Tweed DK (I'll get the exact yarn info and re-post later) on 24in Addi circs and Brittany DPNs for the sleeves. I love the seed stitch edges the most and the bead buttons which I just happened to have in my other stash. The sweater is knit entirely in the round from the bottom-up with the sleeves knit seperately and then joined at the bottom of the arm-hole. The entire sweater is then joined together on one circular needle. While I know this is a very common technique for raglan sweaters, it's the first time I've tried it for myself and I really enjoyed the construction and how quickly it came together. I would definitely recomend this knit to anyone who is knitting for a wee-bebe and short on time.

This sweater is for my DH's co-worker. It will be a girl...(it?? I'm such a dork) and born sometime next month. B is very close to this guy and so he "commissioned: me to knit this sweater. He picked out the pattern, yarn and buttons and will deliver it to the soon-to-be-new-dad-to-be on Monday.

Flickr

2006-07-03T12:12:00.000-07:00

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

Here I am again!

2006-06-27T20:21:00.000-07:00

Trying to catch-up and make a real go of this blogging bit. I'm still struggling with uploading my pictures and I can't add buttons and I STILL can't get the main page to look the way I want it to, but let's forget perfect and just go for something!

For motivation's sake I've joined the Forecast knit-along and I'm very excited about my sweater so far--the pattern is GREAT and I've loved all of the different manifestations I've seen people create online.

Here's the beginning of my sweater.

Just to try to START to catch-up on these past months of busy knitting here's a brief preview of some of my finished projects:

A baby sweater for a co-worker and soon-to-be MOM and some fingerless gloves for my sista!

The gloves are from Last Minute Knitted Gifts and the sweater is from Stitch n' Bitch nation. I loved both of these projects.
More catching up to come...

Progress...

2006-02-12T18:42:00.000-08:00

This picture is upside down!

I'm into the cableing and have run into a few dificulties. I read the chart wrong and will have 2 cables up the back instead of three but they're centered and look good, so I'm not going to mess with it!

I have figured out the problem so I can fix it on the front. This is just my own sweater! Not designed by Elsabeth Lavold alone, but more of a collaborative effort between she and I.

Please excuse the grainy pictures, I had to use my camera phone and email them to myself!

And we're off...but not like a shot.

2006-02-10T15:20:00.000-08:00

Set cell phone alarm for 7:00.
Sleep through it because I forgot that I put my phone on vibrate.
8:00
Wake up with real alarmclock but not in time to knit and swatch for my E.L. sweater.
8:40
Wash dishes for Bryant in anticipation of annoying him with the Knitting Olympics and realize that I won't be able to make the bus and get to work on time.
8:45
Run for bus
8:46
Miss bus, await later bus.
9:10
Roll in to work and hope no one notices my tardyness
9:30
Consult expert knitter at work about my guage swatch. I am in fact, OFF GUAGE.
We decide this is not a problem b/c Bryant has a 40 inch chest and the smallest size EL has to offer is 43.5 inches.
12:00
Work through lunch hour so I can take my break at 1:45
1:45
Grab a sandwich and head over to Yerba Buena Gardens to cast on!
2:00
Cast on (129 sts) and knit first row.
2:20
Frog first row and cast on because I have mis-understood the chart. This is my first time reading a chart and it's showing.
2:40
Finish casting on (129 sts, again) double-count everything and realize that I will be late getting back to work if I don't leave now.
2:45
Realize that I forgot my keycard and have to go around the block to other non-keycard entrance.
2:50
Late for work. Hope no one notices.
3:30
Wonder about chart, realize I may get 4 inches into this sweater and have to frog back.
Pass out.
Just kidding.
5:30
Arrive home, try again.
5:50
Get 2 rows into pattern and realize another mistake.
RIIIIIIP back, again.

7:00
Give up, decide to go "out." The sweater will have to wait for tomorrow. I cannot cast on for the 4th time in one day.

I will arise again tomorrow from this terrible spill like Eddie the Eagle, I swear.

The Countdown to Shame

2006-02-09T21:50:00.000-08:00

So I'm going to try to knit a sweater for Bryant (40 in chest) in 16 days for the Knitting Olympics. It is an Elsabeth Lavold pattern that has cables and will be knit with Rowan Calmer in a lovely shade of brown. I am not exactly expecting to finish, but I think I will be taking a huge bite out of the sweater...and who knows. Maybe I will be able to finish the thing. It just seemed like a better idea last week when I was tipsy and surfing blogland and decided to finally email the Yarn Harlot. Today it's a bit daunting!
I still cannot find my cord that connects my camera to the computer and I haven't been to the computadoraria yet, so I have no pictures for you!
Know only that if my camera was working, I would be showing you a lovely swatch that appears to me to be on-guage.
I've been proven wrong about this before though...

2006-02-08T00:07:00.000-08:00

Go Jen and LB Stitch and Bitch!
I'm so proud! I miss you guys terribly!

I suppose it will help me write more...

2006-01-26T07:59:00.000-08:00

Four Jobs You Have Had In Your Life:
1. Special Events Planner for a non-profit
2. Art Dealer
3. Cabin Girl at our ranch
4. Power-shelver at Borders Bookstore (that was really the job title!)

Four Movies You Could Watch Over and Over:
1. Princess Bride--As you wish!
2. Thomas Crown Affair
3. Office Space
4. Dirty Dancing
I own all of these movies and more...they make me happy!

Four TV Shows You Love to Watch:
1. America's Next Top Model
2. Arrested Development
3. Grey's Annatomy
4. House

Four Places You Have Lived:
1. Seal Beach, California
2. Laramie, Wyoming
3. Washington, DC
4. San Francisco, CA

Four Places You Have Been On Vacation:
1. Montego Bay, Jamaica
2. Big Sur, California
3. Cape May, New Jersey
4. Venice, Italy

Four Websites You Visit Daily
1. Yarn Harlot
2. Knit and Tonic
3. You Knit What?
4. Crazy Aunt Purl

In further news, I've lost the cable that goes from my camera to the computer in the move...it hasn't surfaced. This very well might turn into the most boring blog ever if I can't have pictures so I'm working on finding it!

And we're back...

2006-01-17T08:25:00.001-08:00

After much delay I'm back on-line. A lot has obviously happened since last I wrote...new job. The move back to San Francisco...decorating the apartment (very big job). First dinner party (very fun job). Christmas. And all that.
So it's a new year and I'm newly dedicated to blogging. For a while anyway! We'll see how long this lasts!
I love writing actually, it's just that sometimes I feel like it's homework...

Anyway, here are some fun projects. First, a Crazy Aunt Purl scarf that I made for Chrissy for Christmas. I hope she likes it. I happen to think she looks Fab in it.

Chris' Crazy Aunt Purl Scarf
I loved this pattern. So fun, and with yarn that I already had flagged for Chrissy in my stash. When you're getting overwhelmed with socks and sweaters and knitting is not as fun as it used to be, as scarf is just the ticket to get you back on the bandwagon again.

This scarf actually motivated me to finish a mystery project to be revealed later (after my mom's birthday, actually--she might check in on VickeryKnits and spoil the suprise) and I've started working on a cardigan for myself that I had put down about 7 or 8 months ago! I've finished a back and a sleeve and I'm going gangbusters on the 2nd sleeve! Woo-hoo!

Also, we have my mom's amazing cardigan. This is one that she made for her mom, with bobbles and slipped stitches. I think it's glorious! It's too cool that my mom is getting so into knitting. She's already finished another sweater for one of my sisters as well and starting on a new one soon! Go Mom!

2006-01-17T08:25:00.000-08:00

The Beautiful Back
Why I can't get pictures to publish in the correct order is beyond me.

My Mom's Amazing Knit Cardigan with Bobbles and Slipped Stitches

2006-01-17T08:23:00.000-08:00

I realize that I should re-caption this picture. This is a sweater that my Mom knit for my grandma--her mom! It's a beautiful Cardigan with Bobbles and Slipped Stitches . My mom is a great knitter!

My Super Secret Pal Who's Not So Secret Anymore

2005-09-18T09:38:00.001-07:00

Before I left for my very sad trip to Baltimore, look at what I got in the mail:

My Superior Secret Pal! You Rock!
(Notice Sake's thirst for good yarn.)
It's three skeins of Classic Elite's Miracle, and in my favorite color, of course! Thank you so much my friend, you've been an exemplary Secret Pal and I don't deserve you! Your suprise package certainly helped me through the week!
Well, even though I was away for awhile and I'm only now catching up on my sleep, knitting certainly has a way of taking the edge off. Picking up a sock just makes me feel better even if I can only finish one row before I have to move on to other things.
Between the comfort knitting gives me and the connections and friends I've made I have to say, Thank Goodness I Became A Knitter!

2005-09-18T09:38:00.000-07:00

Sake Loves Yarn Too

And we're back!

2005-09-06T23:24:00.000-07:00

The computer is fixed...Picasa and Hello are up and running and I have some stuff to blog about.

What's on the Block
First off, we have the Secret Agenda Sweater from Knit Wit finished and blocked and all I have to do is seam the whole thing together. My goal is to seam it by this weekend, however this sweater was actually taken about 2 weeks ago, so obviously I'm procrastinating a bit on this part.
M-U-S-T--S-E-W--!
In other news, I cut off the majority of my hair this weekend. I have to publish these pictures because the DH is in SF and hasn't seen the new me.

2005-09-06T23:22:00.001-07:00

The Before Picture

2005-09-06T23:22:00.000-07:00

The New Do--Curly Style.

We will return after these messages...

2005-08-16T07:49:00.000-07:00

1. Her Name is Sake!
And she's so fun! She plays and sleeps with us and she's SO soft! Which I like.
I can't upload any pictures today though because we're experiencing some technical difficulties here at chez kitty. Bringing us to,
2. Our computer crashed last week. Aside from getting all my favorite blog links back (thanks Carolyn!) and finding a recently backed up version of MS Money, everything else is starting again from scratch. In fact,
3. I can't upload pictures! I still need to upload that program for my digital camera AND download picasa for blogger. So we may not see pictures for awhile because that kind of thing takes some sitting down time and in my sitting down time...
4. I've been knitting. Alot. And playing with Sake. So you know, it's hard to resist the lure of a kitten and some fine looking knitting. I'm even finishing something. I'm all finished with Bryant's green Manos sweater and I even blocked it last night. I took some action shots and will show then eventually but, you know, see #3.
5. That's the real knitting news, I finished a sweater, and I'm almost finished with the Sn'B Nation Cabled Pageboy hat. All these projects that I've been hiding from my blog, because they started WAY before I started my blog (B's sweater) or because they're small little feel-good projects like the hat.

I wish I could close with a close up of Sake in the bathroom sink trying to drink from the faucet, but I guess you'll have to stay tuned!

New Girl on the Block!

2005-08-10T07:39:00.000-07:00

Our KITTEN!

Her Close-up!

I swear she took cute kitten lessons before she arrived. This picture looks far away (see the IK acorn top in the background?) but it's about the only time she was off my lap or chest. She's so cuddly and purr-y!
She also is very adventurous. She was checking every nook and cranny of our apartment out, one room at a time and doing cutekitten stuff like using the kitchen chair legs as an obsticle course (kitty boot camp!) and sitting in all of my baskets and looking back out at me (intensely cute...I now need even more baskets!)

We're still up in the air about her name...getting to know her and all. Suggestions anyone?
We're looking at:
Bowie
Tink
Tatto
Joplin
Hero
Whiskey
& Butterscotch!
(Just kidding on that last one, but she is cute enough for it!)

I don't want to go to work today, I just want to play with my new little buddy!

2005-08-10T07:36:00.000-07:00

New Girl!

Secret Pal! Secret Pal!

2005-08-07T09:03:00.000-07:00

Yay! I'm such a spoiled girl! I love my secret pal and this beautiful stash of yarn she sent me yesterday!
It's Classic Elite Yarn's "Provence" mercerized egyptian cotton in my favorite color--4 skeins!

Secret Pal Beauties!
I also recieved a pattern book along with this for a few top variations I could make using this yarn, though it's not pictured. I am even thinking of making the Acorn Camisole in the Summer 05 Interweave Knits, if I have the skill for it...I'll probably give it a shot.
Thank you so much Secret Pal! I was so suprised and pleased to recieve a second package--and I love the yarn, it's beautiful!
In other news the DH and I may be adopting a kitten today! (And really, what knit bloger's life is complete without the perfunctory cat?) I dont' care, I can't wait to have a little buddy--and I've already looked up cat toy patterns to knit! Yay for kitty dim sum!

Intense S.E.X.

2005-08-02T21:25:00.000-07:00

(Stash Enhancement eXpedition)

This is what $200 looks like

So after a weekend of serious and hard work I had today off and I'm feeling much better and I ended up venturing out...Purl Soho's internet warehouse...I love that place. All natural fibers, beautiful colors, and it alwayt feels like you're treasure hunting there since it's not a "real" store. (Though I still think it's better than any other store within driving distance from here.)
Christmas presents and presents for me...I bought my first set of Lantern Moon DPN's (that one's obviously for me). I'm excited to cast on another pair of Christmas Socks with them!

I can't resist the Koigu KPPPM and I added a few skeins of that to my collection and I bought some Blue Sky Alpaca for my sister Jack--she was eyeing the cute bags on the cover of Last Minute Knitted Gifts (also from Purl Soho). I think I'll put my Sister Socks in them when I finish for her birthday.

I'm looking forward to being finished with the crutches and to my SnB tomarrow night...though my injury has definitely caught me up on my knitting. I'm almost done with the last sleeve for Bryant's "Secret Agenda Sweater" and then it's off to finishing school! (My least favorite part!)

P.S. My other sister, Jess, loved her Sister Socks--which arrived before her birthday--and they fit!!

2005-07-26T07:59:00.001-07:00

The reason so much knitting is getting done.

2005-07-26T07:59:00.000-07:00

The beginning of Cory's Hat

2005-07-26T07:58:00.001-07:00

Cory's finished hat...

2005-07-26T07:58:00.000-07:00

The most beautiful cashmere ever.

I'm already on page 217, need I say more?

2005-07-16T09:48:00.000-07:00

Harry Potter Night!

Yes, my knitting buddy Skylar and I went to not one but 2 major bookstores last night at midnight to secure our very own copies of HP and the Half Blood Prince. Mine I pre-ordered from Borders I don't know how many months ago and Barnes & Noble made Skylar wear a special bracelet to get her copy--the kind of bracelet that they give you at clubs and bars!
We both brought our knitting but ended up on the floor of the knitting section checking out various books and patterns. Believe it or not we didn't knit a stitch and the time until 12:00:01 flew by!
As I mentioned in the title of this post...I'm already a bit into the book. I arrived home at about 1am and didn't slip into bed until about 4am give or take. Anyway, I'm off! I've got some serious reading to do!

Oh I almost forgot...Skylar premiered her Lelah top and it was beautiful! SO cool! It's too bad you can't see it better in the pic, but it's in this great bright orange color that I envy her ability to wear...I must make one! Skylar you did such a brilliant job, I'm definitely inspired!
(Shoot...knitting or HP, knitting or HP...damn, HP comes 'round less than once a year!)

X-Back...Back

2005-07-14T00:33:00.001-07:00

Here it is! Pictures curtesy of my knitting buddy Skylar who I met up with at the Long Beach SnB tonight. I'm sure everyone thinks so but our group is the best...it's so diverse and everyone is so very cool and interesting! I live for Wednesdays!
Obviously I finished the tank and premiered it this weekend in Pasadena. I wore it Friday night too! It's one of the first pieces I've made for myself that I can actually wear even if I do wish I would have made it one size smaller. I made it size medium but probably should have gone with the small. But it drapes well and over all I am pleased.
Now all I have to do is get a better strapless!
X-back Front

2005-07-14T00:33:00.000-07:00

X-back Back

2005-07-14T00:32:00.000-07:00

X-back Dork

X back tank from knitty.com, knit on 24" Addi turbos #11 using Trendsetter's Dolcino ribbon color 118. Start date 5/21/05 finished 7/13/05. Any one need an extra ball of Dolcino?

X-back Tank

2005-07-07T08:17:00.000-07:00

This is a project that I haven't picked up in about 2 months. However, I just bought the new fall issue of Interweave Knits and figured that I should finish my summer projects before I work on my new fall items. It's going well, however the entire tank is done in seed stitch and that makes it take quite awhile. It's 104 stitches and that's a lot of seed stitch for 1 row. I'm just about to the arm holes and shaping for the bust however, so it should get interesting very soon.

Ribbon Xback Tank from Knitty

In other news I've turned the heels for both of the 2nd socks that I'm working on for my sisters. It's so cliche, however the 2nd sock is so much more boring than the 1st! And I'm working on 2 of them! All I want to do is cast on for a new pair but that eventual 2nd sock is starting to hold me back...I have until July 30th (sister #1's birthday) to finish one of the socks, so I do have a bit of a motivational deadline! Wish me luck!

This weekend's hard work.

2005-06-27T08:12:00.000-07:00

For the first time in awhile I had the whole weekend to myself. Well, not the whole weekend. There was that whole Saturday where I had to work(for the 2nd weekend in a row)...but it was the first weekend in awhile that I had no company. I knit my little heart out...started a book...made jewelry and stitch markers...and still can't figure out how to put more than one picture in a single post.

Lace on the way. Note the stitchmarkers I'm using!

2005-06-27T08:11:00.000-07:00

Here are the beautiful stitch markers I made:

The ones in the middle are destined for my secret pal...she's into the rennisance fairs and dark garnet tones. The other two sets are probably for me! I'd never made stitch markers before but I went crazy earlier this week at a bead shop. Someone in my SnB had recomended it and I figured if they could do it so could I! I even made jewelry this weekend--new hobby here I come!
Stitch Marker heaven...

2005-06-27T08:10:00.000-07:00

I even worked on socks this weekend!

2nd socks on the way...
I was a good girl and didn't start a new beautiful Secret Pal-Sock...though I dearly wanted to. I was a trooper and started 2nd socks for both of my sisters!
Yay, fun weekend.
Boo--weekend's over!

Secret Pal Gifts!

2005-06-23T07:19:00.000-07:00

Look what I got in the mail yesterday!
Lorna's Laces of my very own! I'm making this up but I'm calling them "bone" colored. I think they're beautiful and they will be my first attempt at knitting socks with a cable pattern up the side. For some reason this color--bone--screams "Cable me." I don't know why. Also seen in this picture but maybe not prominently enough is a set of very cool and very beautiful beaded stitch markers. They are wonderful and will help mark my cables!
Thank you Secret Pal out there--you're so cool!
In other knitting news I've sort of forgotten about the "Summer of Lace" idea and moved onto what's truly going on in my life: The Summer of Socks. I finished my Koigu sock for my sister and have already cast on for the second. I have the second cuff completed for the pink socks for my other sister too so I'm fighting the single sock syndrome urge. It's hard though. I got up early this morning and if I wouldn't have gotten all distracted blogging I would have cast on a new one! Maybe I can holdoff just until I turn the heel on these two suckers...then again, I'm sorley tempted. We'll see how long I last with new Lorna's Laces tempting me! I give myself until about 5:30 tonight.

Watch out for knitting content!

2005-06-16T08:09:00.000-07:00

Here we are with actual knitting content and progress on one of my many sock projects...with all the tsunamis and MIL visits I haven't been knitting much but like it or not this sock is almost to the toe--just 1 more inch to go and I'm back to the pretty pink yarn again. This is the first sock I've ever knit on DPNs (I originally learned how to knit socks on 2 circulars) but I think it's going well even though the body of the sock looks a little fat to me. I guess we'll see when we're done. In other news, I recieved a cool Mohawk postcard from my Secret Pal, which is awesome! She seems super-cool and so there's that to look forward to. I dropped a note to my assigned Secret Pal, however I still need to decide what to actually get for her...
Oh, I almost forgot! I also signed up for the Summer of Lace group...I'm very excited and thinking about starting a lace sampler scarf sometime soon!

Progress!

The Emergency Broadcast System

2005-06-15T08:08:00.000-07:00

So my MIL left and I was planning on writing a great entry here and we're in the middle of dinner listening to the radio in the background and all of the sudden the emergency broadcast system starts and it's not a test! They say something about a Tsunami warning and it happens so fast and they don't repeat themselves and we almost miss it. We hopped onto the weatherchannel.com and double-checked and it said there was a tsunami warning for the entire west coast and we live 2 blocks from the beach! So we grab a few things (phones, charger for phones, wallet, sweatshirt, knitting, and book about knitting...you know, to have something to read just in case) and we're out of the house and on our way up the 605. It was probably 4 min. from the time we first heard the warning to us leaving the house. We headed to B's Grandma's house, which is about 20 miles inland and on top of a huge hill and started calling our friends who also live close to the beach. We were already out of there but I guess that warning sirens were going off in downtown Long Beach and some of our friends who didn't know what was going on were REALLY scared. I was frightened because my sister lives in Seattle and I couldn't get ahold of her at first and then she was just sleepy and said not to worry.
By the time we reached Grandma Jan's house they had just called off the tsunami warning, thank goodness, but we stayed for awhile and listened to the news for about an hour before we headed home. So all in all it was a very wierd night and by the time we got back home I was exhausted. It goes without saying that I'm so glad that everyone is safe and overall I think I'd give us and A for reaction time but a C for forgetting our toothbrushes. You'll note that I did not forget my knitting.
Long Beach SNB tonight, so probably not another post until tomarrow--and oh yeah--I've heard from my Secret Pal! More on this later...

The Visit

2005-06-09T08:16:00.001-07:00

We're all having a lovely time here...

The Chef

2005-06-09T08:16:00.000-07:00

The Gardener

I Found My Tribe

2005-06-06T07:51:00.000-07:00

So I had a very big weekend--I:
1. Worked all day Saturday and missed the Yarn Lady Bag Sale (best sale of the year!)
2. Set a goal of giving all immediate family members socks this year for either birthday/Christmas.
3. Bought new sock yarn for my dad and mother-in-law to fulfil item 2.
4. Found out the tribe my Grandpa's Grandma came from--Abenaki--and saw her picture for the first time (I cried).
5. Found out that my best friend has Abenaki ancestory also--of course, she was already a member of my tribe, this just cements it.
6. Talked to a friend of mine, We'll call him Mr. Fitzgibbons, who just came back from the Peace Corps in Suriname. Hi Peter!
7. Heard from my Secret Pal! She sounds cool! I was also assigned a SP so I'm already thinking about some great ideas to suprise her with.
8. Told a few people about my blog!

The main thing that I didn't do:
1. Clean my house for my mother-in-law who arrives at midnight tonight.

I will remedy this by thinking about it ALL day and then coming home and cleaning frantically for about 2 hours before giving up on scrubbing the shower floor and sitting down for some Tivo'ed Law & Order and knitting. I've turned the heel and finished the gusset on my sister's Koigu socks and I'm on the home stretch. Her feet are 10 inches long so I'm in the home stretch, right? Depending on when I give up on cleaning I'll try to post some pictures of my WIPs tonight.

2005-06-03T21:56:00.000-07:00

So my sister sent me this picture over email today as a thank you for helping her with one of her papers and I almost started crying...at work! I guess I'm homesick. This was taken from the top of the Rimrock back home in Wyoming. It's almost the view from my parent's house except from a slightly different angle. Isn't it beautiful?!
That's the Shoshone River and the road from Cody to the east entrance of Yellowstone Park is just out of view along the bottom. We've been in California for 2 years and 7 months now (B-man just worked it out) and thought I like it here it just can't compair to the beauty back home.

Home!

Sock Time

2005-06-02T07:32:00.000-07:00

So Memorial Day weekend came and went and so did our company. In the middle of games of Trivial Pursuit and teaching them how to surf I was able to cast on for 2 pairs of socks! Both for my sisters. I have birthdays coming up and I kind of want to start working on Christmas presents too. Anyway I'm in love with Koigu, as you can see by how excited my fingers are to work on it.

Here's the weekend's work.

Is blogging really that difficult?

2005-05-28T15:22:00.000-07:00

Why the heck can't I get my posts to show up in the right order? Why can't I get more that one picture in each blog? Uhhh. I will conquer this.
Anyway, I was accepted into SP5! Very exciting. I am so looking forward to it. I can't imagine the effort it takes to organize the entire thing. Thank you Rox! Whoever you are, I salute you!

2005-05-28T15:19:00.001-07:00

Not quite as exciting. But nice none the less.
Option 3: Finish the second sock for my sister's birthday...hmmm. A second sock, eh?

2005-05-28T15:19:00.000-07:00

Option 2: Koigu socks. Very pretty!

Decisions decisions...Which to cast on?

2005-05-28T15:17:00.000-07:00

(What I'm really excited about.)
Option 1: Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn...soooo beautiful! Please disreguard the slightly diseased marigolds.

SP5..or Vickery Examines Her Life As A Knitter

2005-05-27T23:15:00.000-07:00

So, even though I just started this blog yesterday, I've requested to be a part of Secret Pal 5. Who knows if I even signed up right but lets just say that I did and even if I didn't, I had fun filling out the questions. It was a deep self-examination. Here goes:

1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer higher quality and/or natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? Or is it all the same to you?
Snob snob snob. I’ve never even knit with Red Heart. I touch it and it feels icky to me. I started knitting with Manos and you just can’t go acrylic after Manos!
2. Do you spin? Crochet?
I would love to get a drop spindle and learn how to spin, but for now, I do neither.
3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.)
Nope. I’m a lucky girl.
4. How long have you been knitting?
2 years baby!
5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Nope, but maybe I should start one…hmmm.
6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)
Gardinia, citrus, jasmine…I also secretly like patouli but that can be our secret pal o’ mine.
7. Do you have a sweet tooth?
Yup. No doubt about it! Chocolate calls to me late at night.
8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do?
I would love to get a bit into beading and make some stitch markers. I also paint with watercolors a bit.
9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
Mostly chick rockers but also bands like The Shins and White Stripes. I love my MP3 player, no doubt.
10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand?
I love that kind of antiqued seafoam green. Sort of like an old glass bottle or french tile. I love it. Also another good example: the most recent cover of Interweave Knits—Summer 2005. I love the layout and color scheme! My colors exactly. (Also see previous post where I only have picture and a caption because I hadn't yet figured out the complicated picture/post combo.)
11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
Just my DH and I. We’re Dinks all the way. Not even a fish. Although I do have a wisteria tree on my balcony and a few succulents. We’re thinking of nameing them. Does that count?
12. What are your life dreams? (really stretching it here, I know)
To move back to my home state of Wyoming and have a cool house and my own business and lots of fun.
13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?
Rowan, Koigu, Manos, also I like Lamb’s Pride for felting.
14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
Acrylic. I’m also not very into novelty yarns unless they’re very spectacular. The closest thing to novelty that I knit is ribbon for tank tops.
15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s?
I really want to get my hands on some cool Lorna’s Laces, for socks, sweaters, anything. I’ve been seeing the way it knits up on some of the blogs I read and it seems so beautiful and fun! I’ve been coveting Lorna’s Laces for awhile! I also recently purchased a needle felting kit so I'm going to have to dig into that very, very soon.
16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
Bags, purses. I just finished Unbiased in the recycled sari yarn and a buttonhole bag and a cable sampler purse. I love them bags!
17. What are you knitting right now?
A pink cardigan from the Vintage Collection of Vogue Knitting, the Secret Agenda green ribbed sweater from Knit Wit, the X-back ribbon tank from knitty.com and a pair of socks. It is the beginning of a 3 day weekend though. I'll probably have 2-3 more projects cast-on by the end of the week.
18. What do you think about ponchos?
Haven’t ventured into that territory yet. I think I may have missed my window.
19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?
I love circular Addi turbos and straight Brittanys. Or needles with cool ends on them!
20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
See 19. I probably like wooden better than aluminium, but for sweaters I feel the need for speed.
21. Are you a sock knitter?
Yep. In the market for some cool new patterns too. Any ideas?
22. How did you learn to knit?
My mom first when I was about 9, then again 2 years ago from a co-worker. I believe I wrote about this in my “profile” section, if you’re intrigued and want to learn more…come on, you know you’re intrigued! This story has my mom and a co-worker in it!
23. How old is your oldest UFO?
About 3 months. Last week I just finished the year-old Christmas-turned-May-birthday present for my Grandma. Sorry Grandma!
24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird?
Does Napoleon Dynamite count as an animated character? I grew up in Wyoming on a ranch near Yellowstone Park so as far as animals go it’s all about bison. They have power in their eyes. On another note, I hear you can knit them now—buffalo scarf anyone?
25. What is your favorite holiday?
Thanksgiving—relaxed and family-filled. Always lots of time for knitting. All the positives of Christmas without the stress.
26. Is there anything that you collect?
You mean besides yarn? Needles? Pattern books? Blogs to stalk? I’m a bit single minded these days.
27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
None yet but I sure do need to get on the Interweave Knits bandwagon.
28. Any books out there you are dying to get your hands on?
I am weak when it comes to books. I buy. Immediately. I just got Loop-d-Loop--it’s fantastic. Most of my books are very recent though…they’ve all been published within the last 2 years, since I started knitting. The only older one is Elizabeth Zimmerman’s Knitting Without Tears. I would like to get some new sock books or sock patterns. Did I already mention that??

2005-05-27T23:09:00.000-07:00

Hey--I think I may have made a blog break-through. I'm writing in my blog and looking at my picture that I posted at the same time. I'm going to publish this and see how it works but this is very exciting news!
Anniversary Wine from yesterday to memorilize the occasion! Yay fancy-ish french wine!

2005-05-27T23:08:00.000-07:00

My new favorite colors. Pretty sea greens and sage and tourquoise. Handily enough I match the most recent cover of IK.

2005-05-27T18:53:00.000-07:00

Here's the pink cardi! Say hello cardi!

Oldest UFO

2005-05-27T08:00:00.000-07:00

So here's the cardigan that I've pretty much stopped work on. I actually have finished the back, which is what I'm working on in this picture. My problem is sleeves...I have 2 sweaters almost finished except for those danged sleeves. All those measured increases...I think there's got to be a better way to do this! Someone in my SnB suggested putting a safety pin on the edge by every increase and counting only from the last increase. I'm going to try it. Finished sleeves here I come!

Here we go!

2005-05-26T21:30:00.000-07:00

So...today's a good day, and I've been wanting to start a blog for awhile. I figure, what better day than a good day? May has always been my favorite month. Also, it's my anniversary today--4 years. So you know I can stick with stuff!
Anyway, I'm so into knitting and I want to share my Love with the world. Knitting is love! So here's my blog and here we go...
Love,
Vickery