Wild N' Wooly

My favorite time of year!

2007-07-31T22:21:00.000-06:00

That's right... its Shark Week again!

And my cable was out yesterday until almost midnight so I missed a couple new episodes...grr. Thank goodness for dvr technology, at least I can tape the reruns this week!

Ahh, reminds me of one of my favorite scenes in Jaws... Ellen and Chief Brody are sitting in the family room having a drink while he's flipping through the shark book (WHICH by the way is one of my favorite books ever, I think I borrowed it from the library 60 times between the ages of 8 and 18). Ellen wants to 'get drunk and fool around', the dog's already doing that himself on the couch, Sean's on the dock "watching Michael", and Michael's sitting in his new birthday present.

"Michael, did you hear your father? Out of the water now. NOW!"

If only she'd said that before Alex Kintner had begun to prune...

oooh! I'm so lucky!

2007-07-18T19:45:00.000-06:00

So my car wouldn't start today after work because the genius I am left the lights on all day and drained the battery! At least I'm prepared enough with jumper cables since this is probably the hundreth time this has happened to me. But imagine my surprise when I got home (an hour later than normal!) and found my Hogwards Sock Kit Swap package waiting for me!

Could I get any better package?! I don't think so!!! Not only did I get the awesome yarn a little bit ago in Ravenclaw 3rd year stripes, but I got SO MANY MORE GOODIES!!

I got all kinds of needles-- a set of sock needles, two sets of bamboo straight needles, and cable needles (thank god! my cable needle had disappeared into either my mom's or sister's stash some time ago, and I'd not gotten a replacement yet, so its perfect!). I also got an excellent recipe card with some good texan recipes on it-- after all, my partner was from the Lone Star State! I got a huge bag of french vanilla coffee--which is very appropriate since it is my favorite drink. Two skeins of Moonlight Mohair to knit up with my new needles! Then the Hogwarts stuff--so much! Wizard trading cards (Wizzo, when does your card come out??), tons of yummy candies like Bertie Bots, an excellent bookmark which is also perfect because I'm expecting book #7 to arrive Saturday!! And the neatest stationary--Harry Potter themed of course! There's just too much to mention, and I love every bit of it!

Thanks, Sonia! What a great package!

New Foot Model

2007-07-08T00:44:00.000-06:00

Its a bit late, but I just finished my first Friday Harbor sock (Knitting on the Road) and wanted to see how it looked. My dog was passed out next to me and man! He's tired. He didn't even wake up when I slipped the sock on his leg. I think his feet must be cold because he let out a little sigh of content (or maybe sigh of disgust) after it was on. The picture doesn't show the pattern at all, but man it made me laugh!

Ravenclaw has the best colors!

2007-07-07T20:58:00.000-06:00

The sock yarn from my HSKS partner has arrived!!! Thank you so much Sonia! She ran into a bit of doggy trouble as her puppys destroyed the yarn she had originally purchased (naughty puppies!) but she was kind enough to have it sent to me directly from dharmafeys cosmic fibers. Thanks again! I love the yarn!

Sushi, Kool-Aid and Socks Socks Socks!

2007-06-24T20:33:00.000-06:00

Holy cow, it's already Sunday! What a weekend! I didn't get too much done other than house stuff, but I did get to eat some yummy yummy sushi with Brooke which included this crazy beast! So delicious, and shame on me I can't remember what the hell this was called. All I know is that it had the spiciest spicy mayo EVER.

I also finished another pair of jaywalkers last week--this pair was knit with Austermann STEP sock yarn which I love! It has jojoba oil in the fiber-a nice treat for the feet. Lucky me, Stephanie bought this yarn for me on our pass through Howell, Michigan. Thanks again, Steph!

They feel great on my feet (of course I had to wear them practically immediately after finishing them!)

I'm really loving knitting socks--which is probably good because my sock stash is multiplying like a wet gremlin.

I also dyed some sock yarn yesterday! I used the Kool-Aid method again, this time I used lemon-lime, pink lemonade, and berry blue. The house smelled dee-lish! I hope to start knitting with this yarn this week to see how I did measuring out my stripes. My goal was to have a thin pink stripe, thick green, thin blue, thick green--we'll see how I actually did this week.

Since I finished the my jojoba jaywalkers last week, I've knit and frogged another sock literally twenty times. What the heck! I just couldn't find the right pattern that complimented the yarn. I kept getting blobs of color rather than anything like a stipe--which drove me nuts! I finished about 30 rows of the sock pattern that I finally decided to go with, but then realized that unless my sister's feet have been bound since age 2 like an ancient chinese girl, there was no way these would fit her. So I (once again) frogged the sock and started it up again on size 3s. Stephanie gave me this yarn because she had 2 skeins of it--Socks that Rock's Punk Pink. We decided that I'll knit her a pair and she'll knit me a pair in the same yarn. So this is what I have on the needles now. I should be starting the heel tonight (hopefully) and get this pair finished this week.

And thats about it for now! I am listening to Shannon and Steph's newest podcast--probably the only knitting podcast that has ever said "Roto-Rooter" thirty times.

New goodies!

2007-06-11T22:16:00.000-06:00

So I'm a bit lazy right now to run down a snap a few pictures (although I could use Stephanie's excuse of I "lost" my sync cord, but why bother) but I got some excellent stuff this weekend from my mom and sister's adventure up north to the shop the Fold.
They got me a skein of some super excellent Trekking yarn in what other color but brown, my favorite! I can't decide what pattern to make this sock pair up with yet, but I am leaning towards Monkey. We'll see though, since I have to finish three pairs of jaywalkers I have started. I need to learn how to knit two socks at once so I won't have so many orphans around!
I also got a super excellent dying kit--with a super excellent dyer's handbook! I'm not sure if I'm quite ready to give up the KoolAid (I just bought a ton!) but I'm looking forward to more experiments in dying.
My HSKS package for my partner was also completed today! There were a lot of 'firsts' involved for me in this swap! It was my first swap, it was the first time I've made stitch markers, it was the first time I dyed yarn...and it was the first time I won anything in a swap contest (thanks to my house's prefect, Sarah and her great trivia games!)
Now off to finish my socks...

HSKS Trivia

2007-05-28T11:04:00.000-06:00

Who said...
--"I'm not trying to say what she did was sensible. I'm just trying to make you see how she was feeling at the time."
--"You should write a book, translating mad things girls do so boys can understand them."

Hermoine and Ron!

7 Weird Facts About Me...

2007-05-27T22:44:00.000-06:00

I've been tagged. Brooke tagged me with the 7 weird facts about me.

The rules: Each person tagged gives 7 random facts about themselves. Those who are tagged need to write on their own blog those 7 facts as well as the rules of the game. You need to tag seven other people and list their names on your blog. Then you leave those you plan on tagging a note in their comments so they know that they have been tagged and to read your blog.

1. I have no allergies except for sulfa drugs--which I only know because my mom says so. I have no recollection of ever taking any sulfa drugs nor do I know why I was prescribed any. I also have no clue what the adverse the reaction was. It wasn't until I was in college that I ever even learned what they were for...which I quickly forgot.

2. I believe clowns are the spawns of satan...well not really, but they are just wrong. There is nothing funny about a clown, especially ones with pointed mouths. If my nightmares had a theme song it would be "send in the clowns".

3. I love horror movies, scary books, and being scared (with the exception of anything clown related...although I did enjoy reading Stephen King's IT). However, I cannot go to haunted houses after a specific incident that involved me, Michael Meyers and a chainsaw eight years ago. If, for some reason, I did make it into a haunted house, I honestly believe that if I were to be that scared again I would purposefully knock myself unconscious by running into a wall.

4. When I was little--maybe 11ish--I was convinced that I was going to marry Christian Slater... wtf is that about?

5. I'm a huge nut about sharks--my favorite movie is Jaws, and I'm obsessed with anything relating to them--tv, books, movies, etc. I have seen every bad movie made about sharks, shark attacks, etc--in fact, one of my biggest late fees to Blockbuster was Shark Attack which I ended up owning because I never returned it. Terrible movie (I've watched it twice). I will also never swim in the Mediterranean Sea after watching Shark Week 2005 on the Discovery Channel.

6. I don't like to throw things away (you never know when you might need it again!) and so I like to store things in plastic bags on doorknobs--a habit which drives my husband crazy. I never realized that I had the tendancy to do this until he brought it to my attention. This habit is quickly fading after a 3 hour rampage looking for the digital camera (it was in a knotted plastic bag on the closet doorknob).

7. I'm starting to become obsessed with Giants--not the football team, but, you know, giant humans in folklore and legends. I blame Art Bell.

I hate tagging people so... tag yourself if you want to!

Its Peony Time!

2007-05-21T19:55:00.000-06:00

When I got home from work I had this pink bomb waiting for me! This is the first time that my Mrs. FDR peony is blooming since I (ok, my mom did it--she's the green thumb in the family!)transplanted it from my mom's yard a year and a half ago. It's not completely popped open, but I couldn't resist snapping a quick picture!

HSKS Progress...95% complete!
I have almost everything together... I just need to pick up some needles and some other miscellaneous goodies and then she'll be ready to ship out! I hope my swap partner Shannon enjoys the package of goodies as much as I did putting it all together!

Quidditch Round Two!

2007-05-20T21:08:00.000-06:00

1. Who is the Fat Lady's friend?
Violet

2. When the Fat Lady was attacked by Sirius Black and fled her portrait, who took over for her as guard of Gryffindor Tower?
Sir Cadogan

3. Usually when Harry is in Dumbledore's office, what are the portraits of previous headmasters doing?
Snoozing

4. Which one of the Triwizard champions did not go to the World Cup?
Fleur Delacour

5. Who did Harry give his Triwizard winnings to?
Fred and George Weasley

6. Live gong cram la man (two words)
Minerva McGonnagall

7. Owl or video
Oliver Wood

8. What author's name appears on the book "Quidditch Through the Ages"?
Kennilworthy Whisp

9. What does the Keeper do in a game of Quidditch?
Guards the goal

10. In the Goblet of Fire why did the Mad Eye Moody imposter put Harry's name in the goblet?
He wanted Harry to win the tournament

Dobby holding his sock from Harry

Cho Chang and Harry's first kiss

Viktor Krum and Hermione at the dance

Mad Eye Moody

Learning Anatomy with Knitting....?!

2007-05-16T21:37:00.000-06:00

I'm a kind of science nerd at heart...I mean, I did graduate from college with a bachelor's in biology afterall. Which is funny, because Brooke (aka the other half of my brain) studied biology as well. Obviously I also knit, hense the blog. But never, never would I have dreamed one day I'd come across a knitted project such as this...

yes, that is a tongue at the start of the human digestive system. Maybe anatomy & physiology would have been easier if I had this to study from... ew.

I wonder if Brooke will find this as funny as her joke about the erlenmeyer flask?? Haha!

Hey, I'm Dying over here!

2007-05-12T23:53:00.001-06:00

Thats right! Today I dyed yarn for the first time ever... using Kool Aid. And it worked wonderfully! I think this could be a new obsession for me (although no replacement to my shark obsession, of course). I took some pictures and will post them soon. I got the directions from both knit picks, streetsandyo.com and ginabeana. Its really simple and really neat to see it work! Experimenting with colors is so fun!
I'm also getting super excited to get my package out in the mail for my HSKS partner! I received some goodies that I ordered for her yesterday and should hopefully get her package out way before the June deadline!
Now I'm off to bed...early morning to get last minute stuff done at the house before the family comes over for a bbq / mothers day! Happy mothers day to all the mothers out there!

HSKS Weekly Trivia!

2007-05-12T23:41:00.000-06:00

Trivia # 1:
Q: What potion is this:
This potion has the colour of molten gold, and while exposed to the air, large drops will leap like goldfish above the surface without spilling.
A: Felix Felicis

Trivia # 2:
Q: Which book is this line from?
"Harry and Cho were now too embarrassed to look at each other, let alone talk to each other; what if Ron and Hermione started going out together, then split up? Could their friendship survive it? Harry remembered the few weeks when they had not been talking to each other in third year; he had not enjoyed trying to bridge the distance between them. And then, what if they didn't split up? What if they became like Bill and Fleur, and it became excrutiatingly embarrassing to be in their presence, so that he was shut out for good?"
A: The Half Blood Prince

Trivia #3:
Q: Who utters these words?"Oh I am glad I'm not on duty. I wouldn't fancy having to go and tell the Irish they've got to stop celebrating."
A: Arthur Weasley

HSKS Trivia, Round One!

2007-05-07T00:00:00.000-06:00

1. Who isn't or hasn't been a Quidditch captain?

Answer: Cho Chang

2. Who are the Gryffindor chasers?
Answer: Alicia, Angelina, and Katie

3. Who are the Slytherin beaters?
Answer: Crabbe and Goyle

4. What type of broom isn't made anymore?
Answer: Silver Arrow

5. The Slytherin team all ride the same broom, what is it?
Answer: Nimbus 2001

6. Which of these is not a Quidditch team?
Answer: Tudshill Tornados

7. Who is Head of Hufflepuff House?
Answer: Professor Sprout

8. Which Hufflepuff student is reported to have been one of the only peple to have ever given Hufflepuff success?
Answer: Cedric Diggory

9. In Book 1 who was the first Hufflepuff student to be sorted?
Answer: Hannah Abbott

10. What is the emblem of Hufflepuff House?
Answer: Badger

Image Hunt:
Picture of Harry, Ron, and Hermione together; Hagrid; Buckbeak; Sirius Black; Uncle Vernon

HSKS... let the games begin!

2007-05-01T20:35:00.000-06:00

Its May 1st-- four days before cinco de mayo and my good buddy wedding--but its also the start of HSKS! How excellent is it that I found out who I have and who has me in the same day!?! Too excellent! I think its great that my swap partners are from Gryffindor and Slytherin--just like Brooke and Stephanie! I love the contests between the houses, and being the competative gal that I am, now I'm really going to have to watch what's going on with those two houses! Sonia from sssssSlytherin has a great page up for her team! I'm excited to see what goodies she has in the works for me!
I also can't wait to start the bag for my Gryffindor gal, Shannon...I just hope I don't go nuts at the shops--I am a fiber junky, afterall! I was reading what candies she liked and got a chocolate craving when I saw she liked dark chocolate and hazelnuts--glad I started a diet this week, doh!

HSKS Questionaire... and go Ravenclaw!

2007-04-29T21:42:00.000-06:00

Yay to my house for ending last week in 1st place !! I guess I'm a bit competative, so the fact that there's a bit of that with this swap makes it fun for me!

Here are my answers to the HSKS questionaire which I'm trying to get done before the storm that is rolling in makes my power go out... I just about crapped myself from a thunder clap that made my house shake. Holy smokes, that was a close one!!

1. What Hogwarts house have you been sorted into?
Ravenclaw!

2. List your three favorite double-point needle brands, including size and length.
I'm not too picky about my needles--probably because I don't have a lot and most often borrow sock needles from my mom! Lately, I've been on a metal needle craze as of late, and really like knit picks dpn and addi steel dpn. However, can a girl really ever have too much bamboo? I don't think so! I'm not very particular about brands because I haven't tried a lot of them to have a good comparison. What I have used and like are:
Knit picks metal dpns, 6" in length, any size below 3 us!
Addi steel dpns, 8" in length, any size below 2 us, most often 2.5 mm
Crystal Palace bamboo, 8" in length size 2

3. Would you like to try a new brand needle? If so, which brand? Size? Length?
Of course! For socks I like to use size 1 us but I have made socks on 3s. I do not have any size 2 us needles or any needles below 1. I'm always up for trying new needles!

4. If you are a RAVENCLAW, do you prefer the colors in the film or the book? Do you have a strong preference?
Although my favorite color is brown, I think the color combination from the movie, blue and silver, is more appealing!

5. If your pal decides to send candies or chocolates are there any that you don't like?
Hmm, I think my problem is that I do like too many candies and all chocolates! The only thing I don't really like are almonds.

6. What are your favorite scents?
Peonies and sweet peas smell excellent! I also like vanilla and grapefruit. I like really anything that isn't musky or patchouli or patchouli-like.

7. Do you have any allergies?
Nope!

Hogwarts Trivia Q&A:
Who is speaking?: "You will have your reward, Wormtail. I will allow you to perform an essential task for me, one that many of my followers would give their right hands to perform..."
Answer: Voldemort!

"Socks are Dobby's favorite, favorite clothes, sir!"

2007-04-27T21:28:00.000-06:00

I've finally joined my first swap and I'm pretty excited!

How fun is that?! I've read all the books and I'm really excited for the seventh book, and what better way to pass the time than a super fun swap?!

The sorting hat placed me into Ravenclaw...go team go!!

Hogwarts Trivia Q&A:

Question: Who are the two people in this conversation:

"There is nothing worse than death, Dumbledore!"

"You are quite wrong. Indeed, your failure to understand that there are things much worse than death has always been your greatest weakness."

Answer: Voldemort & Dumbledore

They're baaaack!

2007-04-22T09:20:00.000-06:00

The cicadas are coming! The cicadas are coming!

I haven't seen or heard any yet but these buggers should be emerging out of the ground very soon, and its kind of exciting!! Last time I saw these guys was the spring of 1990 and I remember they were everywhere and so loud!

Yes, they are edible (though I missed the chocolate covered ones served up in the neighborhood last time, I'm not regretful). I'll take their word on it that they taste like almonds--not a fan of almonds anyways. I'll just add that to my diverse mental databank of "useless knowledge".

I also learned another tidbit this morning involving crickets and temperature. Although I'm sure Brooke already knows this since she knows ways to tell when the weather is about to change even when its a blue and clear sky out, did you know that if you count the number of cricket chirps in 14 seconds and add 40 the result is the within a degree or two of the temperature outside (in Farenheit)?! Thanks to my favorite meteorologist I do now! Thanks Tom!

I love learning bits of trivia like this, even if it only comes in handy when playing trivial pursuit or if I ever make it onto Jeopardy.

Got any good tidbits of useless knowledge?!

Obsessions--and not the smelly kind from Calvin Klein

2007-04-21T11:32:00.000-06:00

Fist things first...

Thank you Shannon and Stephanie for allowing me to participate in your "Random Thoughts" episode on the SSK Podcast! It was fun! Although, now that I'm feeling a little embarassed about my dorky antics in high school speech class. I will be knitting my very own Neptunic--but this one will be for a fashion statement, not for protection like the real deal and I will be using natual fibers, not metal. ** I was wrong about the creator of the suit, its actually Jeremiah Sullivan that made the shark-proof suit.

I'm almost done with the Jaywalkers I'm doing from the yarn I bought through the elann.com website. I also picked up a set of Addi double points for the project, and let me tell you, I'm knitting so fast!! But I'm getting a little worried since I'm starting to lose enthusiasm over this sock and ready to pick up something else. I know I should work on eliminating my stash, and when I go to the knit shop today with Steph I will keep telling myself that I won't buy anything... but I'm sure there will be a post later on today or tomorrow with what I bought, gah!

Dropped Stitches, Pet Food Recalls and Detox Tea

2007-04-10T20:52:00.000-06:00

So I was in a bit of a panic this afternoon when I was told there was another recall on pet food--dry food this time. Not sure if this is completely true or not yet as I was having trouble finding information on the web tonight. What I did find out about the food my dog was eating is that its been recently associated with some illnesses and complications in dogs. So, that convinced me to convince my husband to head out to Whole Foods and pick up some Newman's Own dog food and milk. And boy does he love the stuff! He busted into that bag like he'd never seen food before. I had to hide the bag after I gave him his portion so he couldn't get into it. I wonder if he'd be like that with the actor Paul Newman of Newman's Own? Could he have been any better looking in the Hustler? I don't think so.
Here is a link to the pet food recall list in case you haven't already been.
And in other recall news, I got an email today that drugs containing phenylpropanolamine are being recalled. This, however, I'm not sure is anything new, since most of the articles pertaining to this are from 2005.
On to the detox tea. I've been a little 'bound' up the past 5 days or so, and I mean nothing was helping. I felt like I'd eating ten pounds of licorice and it was all sitting in my gut. Very uncomfortable. Well, finally, after two days of detox tea and a handfull of medimucil pills, I'm free. I've never felt so bad. It was to the point where I'd heard a commercial for a 'detox spa', I texted the website to myself so I could check it out later. I was pretty pissed off when I finally got around to looking it up and it turned out to be a "romantic spa" for couples. sick.
My jaywalkers should finally be done soon, I'm an inch and a half from the start of the heel flap--it always seems to go faster when you get there (at least to me!).

Spring Has Sprung!

2007-03-28T18:25:00.000-06:00

I'm so excited--my flowers are blooming! Spring has definately sprung in my neck of the woods! Last fall I planted a crap load of bulbs, and surprisingly enough they survived and are up! And my service berry tree/bush even has some furry buds on it! Hopefully this summer I'll beat the birds to the quick and be able to eat more than three berries. They're so yummy! And don't even get me started on the mulberry trees in the backyard--those are budding, too!

It was kind of a crappy day outside--wet, dark and cold--the 70s we had this week really spoiled me. I know I should be happy with any weather not requiring multiple layers and a jacket for March in Illinois, but c'mon! My feet are cold! Which reminds me, I'll be done with the first sock of my Jaywalkers tonight, so stay tuned for a picture of that! Since Lost is on tonight, I'll be knitting super fast with anxiety waiting for what will happen on that damn island.

We'll soon see how good my sewing skills are!

2007-03-25T20:21:00.000-06:00

I just finished the hoodie for the baby jacket that I'm making... my second baby project after the bathrobe I made a few months back.

All I have left to do now is sew everything together then blanket stitch around the edging... this could be very interested, I just looked up how to sew shoulder seams together. Doesn't look difficult (knock on wood).

It was an easy pattern, just moss stitch. And I only screwed up once (I put the should decreases in backwards on one, but only had to rip out 6 rows not the entire thing! A first for me!)

There's A Place In France...

2007-03-05T19:57:00.000-06:00

OK, ever notice how when you hear something or take notice of something you normally wouldn't, all of a sudden its everywhere? Like when you buy a new car, then you notice them all over the road when you wouldn't have before?
That said, for about two weeks now, I can't this song out of my head. You know the one, maybe you sang it as a kid (or now around the house and in the car with your husband...or is that just me?)... well, low and behold what I find on the internet today, NOT looking for it. (I was actually looking to find out why pee smells like asparagus after you eat it, but thats another story!)

There's a place in France, where the naked ladies dance...go ahead, sing it loud! But be warned, you may catch yourself singing it in not-so appropriate places (or, again, maybe thats just me).

Brookielou...Where are you?

2007-03-04T22:21:00.000-06:00

Looks like almost two of the three bags are completed...

You still have a chance to beat Sharky--all she has left to do is some sewing... HURRY UP AND FINISH YOUR BAG!

Actually, I can't wait to see all three of our bags together since Sharky's is very green, mine is more of a brownish green, and Brain's is a natural gray/brown color. Anyways, what I mean to say, is they really go well together.

On a side note, as I've stated many times before, my pattern literacy is at the pre-k level... apparently I just eliminated rows at the top of the bag that I didn't know about. See how the bright green bag has a final twist? Ya, I didn't see that on the pattern apparently. Whoops!

Sticks & String! Yay!

2007-03-04T22:07:00.000-06:00

Woohoo!

My sister stopped by tonight and had three goodies for me! Well, one isn't a goodie--she returned that f-ugly green cardigan that I made so I can frog it.
But what I'm really excited about are the Knit Picks Options! Yay! I'm hoping they make me knit at lightning speed!

She also gave me a skein of sock yarn... great colors! I guess she didn't see my post regarding my stash. At least I think I know just the right pattern to use with this yarn...but first must get the jaywalkers completed!

Thanks Stephie!

"Quick" project (unless you're me)

2007-03-03T15:06:00.000-06:00

This isn't the greatest picture of my lastest accomplishment since I took it before it was done blocking. This was part of the yarn I found last night in a portion of my stash I had hidden away from myself (see a couple posts down).

I found this pattern online last night, and thought I'd give it a whirl. I hate sewing and I'm not the biggest fan of grafting so what I was thinking when I said to myself, "self, this will be easy!" I was an idiot. I kept forgetting to bind off--so I'd rip out my row and then...forget again. So annoying! I think it was because I was catching up on some Lost episodes I'd missed and not paying enough attention to my hands. Oh well, its done now. And I still have enough yarn to make at least one more face cloth---definately not this one though.

Anyone have fun patterns for face cloths? Let me know!

Almost Ready to Wear (one, not both)

2007-03-03T14:55:00.000-06:00

Here's how the stripes are turning out...

This is a fun sock to do because it's fun to see the pattern unfold. I finished the heel flap and heel turn, I'm about to start picking up stitches for the gusset next.

I need to get these done so I can start pecking away at the stash I've collected!

Hey Bonnie Tyler...

2007-03-03T14:49:00.000-06:00

Thats right folks, total eclipse tonight--not of the heart, but the moon! I guess in America the moon isn't going to completely black out, but the reflection of light off the earth will make it look red. I guess thats good for anyone out on a boat tonight--red moon at night, sailor's delight.

p.s. speaking of water, Brooke, why haven't you posted about your waterworld dream?! Haha.

My "Bug-Out" Basket

2007-03-03T14:33:00.000-06:00

Although technically not what the average bug-out bag would contain, apparently I'm prepared for any knitting emergency. This is rediculous.

This basket contains my entire stash (although I think I have some hidden in a closet upstairs), including the sixteen skeins of yarn I just happened upon while reorganizing the computer room last night. What is my problem!?

I can tell you that I do know I will be making a baby jacket with the big pink and pastel hanks, socks with the three blue stripe yarn, and that little noro sticking out will eventually be a hat. There's some of the green cardigan I made that turned out like shit. And more green from the leftover Irish Cable bag... thats some brown I bought which is super soft, but right now content on being just a ball. Then theres the cotton I made a face cloth with a while back and another one last night. Believe me, theres plenty more in there.

If you have any suggestions on what any of these balls should be when they grow up, let me know. Or if you have the number for a fiber therapist, that might help, too.

Sock It To Me!

2007-02-26T20:41:00.000-06:00

I started the Jaywalker pattern last night... I'm loving it! This is the first time I'm knitting on anything smaller than 3s-- I had to stop myself from continuing last night because I could barely straighten out my hands. Man they hurt! No pain today, however, so I'm gonna pick up the needles and try to get to the heel flap tonight!

In other news...

My sister has finally picked up the needles to start our group project, the Irish Cable Bag--you know, the one we picked out in December? I wonder how far Brookielou has gotten on hers... hmm. Hurry up you two so we can do something else.

Random post, but mystery solved...

2007-02-25T15:21:00.000-06:00

Now I realize why my side of the bed is never flat...
We have a bed that has that 'memory foam' or whatever its called--you know, the kind that forms around you so you don't have the pressure on your spine or whatever. The kind that you can put a glass of wine on one end and jump like mad on the other side and never spill a drop (never tried that, just took their word). Well, my husband's side always seems to be more comfortable--and here's why:

This dog sleeps A LOT... and in one spot, and in a ball. Occassionally he'll expand with a deep sigh, but otherwise he's pretty motionless. And where is his favorite spot? Right there, on my side. I think he's made a perminant dent, I swear. I have a Mac-sized reservoir that my back falls into every night. Guess I'll never have to prop my legs up with pillows or get a craftmatic adjustable bed! (although I did always want one when I was little--I mean, c'mon, moving bed and a free color tv?! What's not perfect about that?! haha!) Oh well, he's cute and keeps my spot warm for me. I'll let it slide.

Socks complete!

2007-02-25T14:17:00.000-06:00

So here it is! My first pair of socks and they're complete!

I worked my hands to the bone yesterday and finally got the second sock finished... ahh, the feeling of accomplishment!

This was a free pattern from Lionbrand--a great pattern for me to learn the basic method for making a sock. So I'm pleased with that, but I will not make this sock again--I want something that fits more snug around my arch and I really think that because this sock is all st-st that it will stretch out over the course of a day.

I rushed through my second sock on this because I can't wait to try another sock pattern and use my yarn I purchased last week. But I promised myself no knitting today until I've finished cleaning my house and started at least one load of laundry! Thats complete now, and I already ran to my mom's house to pick up some size 1 needles so I can start the Jaywalker pattern!

Thanks Ilix & TK for the sock pattern suggestions... good thing I bought some yarn online today so I'm getting ready for sock pair #3 & 4 and ...--I think half the fun is picking out the next project! I can see myself going out of control with sock yarn very shortly!

Upcoming projects

2007-02-18T19:22:00.000-06:00

Stephanie and I went to a yarn shop yesterday and I picked up some goodies for upcoming projects. I know I stated in previous posts that I was done buying yarn, but obviously I wasn't paying any attention to myself.
This is the color I'll be making the cardigan sweater in. I fell in love with Stephanie's, and will be thrilled if mine turns out half as good as hers did! I think the gals at work will appreciate this as well since I tend to wear the same cardigans over and over and over again since it gets so cold in the office. This color will be a nice hint towards spring, too. I'll be honest, Steph convinced me to get the color because it will look nice with brown--my favorite color. Haha!

Since I'm almost finished with my first pair of socks, I thought I'd pick up some sock yarn. I'm starting to think that if I have to have a stash, sock yarn would be the best to have since you can never have too many pairs of socks. I like the jaywalker pattern and think I'll do it toe up. This project is a couple weeks from being started, so I'm up for any good sock patterns if you have suggestions!

Half way done!

2007-02-18T19:15:00.000-06:00

Well, I've completed the first half of my first pair of socks! Or...one sock. I can't wait to finish the set so I can actually wear a matching pair, but thought I'd slip it on quick and take a photo to share my progress. I didn't realize there was so much that went into making a sock! I really like making the heel, that was my favorite part!

Why Socks? Why not!?

2007-02-13T23:38:00.000-06:00

So I buckled down tonight and pulled out a few inches in my first ever pair of socks. I'm about two inches before I start the heel flap. I think the best thing about knitting socks is that I can take the project around the house and knit without worrying about messing anything up--its small!
Since this is my first pair, I'm doing a basic sock pattern. I figured if I can get the basics down, then I'll be prepared to make some fancy toes. I'm using Lionbrand's Magic Stripes--which is not too bad since its superwash, and it was 50% off! So, for under four bucks I'll find out if I'm destined to be a for-realsies sock maker. Lucky for me I know someone who is great at spotting all the deals!

Sharky Hat Nipple Top

2007-02-12T23:50:00.000-06:00

So I'm done with my hat and will be wearing it tomorrow...assuming we get this snow everyone is talking about. I've heard everything from 2" - 12", so we'll see!

I made the same hat my mom whipped up last night. She said she left me the pattern when she stopped by the house today. Now, I can't tell you which is funnier...the fact that I didn't read her 'pattern' all the way through (I mean, its soooo long) or that she called this a pattern:

Its a shitty picture, so I'll type it out too since it really made me laugh.

I had enough yarn

for basic hat

I c/o 48 sts worked

garter for 6 rows

and then join in round on

4 dpn 10 1/2

Took me aobut 2 hours

Nice hat.

So here I am, knitting away, and its about 3 minutes until 10pm. Why is that important? Because 10pm is the 'cut off' to call and bug my mom before she's hit the hay. So, 9:57pm and I just finish my 6 rows of garter. I now decide to read the rest of the message, and realize, where the hell are the decreases? What the hell am I making here?! So, I bugged her 2 minutes to cut-off time and she told me what to do (that is, call your sister). Hahaha, thanks for the laugh mom!

So I call and get what I needed from Stephanie and she told me what to do to avoid the nipple top. Did I write that down? Of course not. Oh well... so I have an areola on my head, whats not normal about that?!

My Sharky Hat

2007-02-12T19:24:00.000-06:00

So my very talented sister spun me some wool we picked up a long while back at the Michigan Fiber Festival. How cool is that!? I'm gonna make a hat with it tonight...hopefully a one night project while I sit and watch tv tonight. We're supposed to be getting bombarded with snow tonight--8" I heard--so this should come in handy tomorrow!

Irish Cable Bag is off the Needles!

2007-02-11T20:22:00.000-06:00

This is it... its completely finished, blocked and all. Phew, I'm glad too since I have a ton of other things I want to be knitting. I had quite a bit of extra yarn from this project, so I decided to make a matching wallet to go with it. The wallet's completed, but I'm going to try embroidering it a little to give it some pizazz! Check back for pictures soon!

And of course I've started my very first pair of socks--thanks to Brookielou for the purchase of the self striping yarn! She just gave her blog a 'facelift' today... it looks great!!

I have only done a few rows of ribbing for the top of the sock. I'm not in a hurry with this pair since its easy to put away and pick back up...I'm thinking this will be my project to go to when my 'main' project (which is nothing, currently) becomes a nightmare.

Then there is the baby cardigan sweater that I bought yarn for a few weeks back. Yes, I actually bought that yarn knowing what to make with it before I even got to the cashier! A rare event for me.

Finally there's that skein of Noro Silk Garden that I've got to make something with. I'm thinking the beanie that Midnight 2 Sticks made might be what I'll do. Her's turned out fantastic!

That's all I can think of for now, but I'm sure I'm completely missing a couple pounds of fiber that I forgot about. Oh well...

Thanks Brookielou!

2007-02-06T00:05:00.000-06:00

Brookielou, you're a genius! Thanks for getting my WIP tracker set up for me!

Chinese Proverb

2007-02-05T21:37:00.000-06:00

Your Fortune Is

Underwear is not the best thing on earth - but next to it.

The Wacky Fortune Cookie Generator

Colder than a witch's...

2007-02-04T23:00:00.000-06:00

For real--the groundhogs said early spring, so what the hell is this crap about?! The temperature gauge in my house says its -6 degrees outside right now. This thing has got to be off tho since...

my house is apparently 66.6 degrees. Thats frightening. Hmmm...

New On the Needles

2007-02-04T11:55:00.000-06:00

I was on the phone last night with Brain (a/k/a Ms. Brooke) and we both were looking up new patterns of things to make. Yes, both of us still have the Irish Cables Bag on the needles, but who cares... I am so annoyed with that after doing the entire bag wrong, it hurts my soul to think about it, let alone actually work on it!
So I went through the book of patterns I got for Christmas from Ms. Brooke--

to see what I can do to get my stash down. See, my problem is that I go into yarn shops for say, just a cable needle, and end up buying a couple skeins of yarn without knowing what the hell I will do with them. No clue in fact. I just like the yarn. So, instead of rolling them into cakes and putting them on display all around the house, its imperative that I get these made into something so I can, oh I don't know, find a pattern THEN buy the appropriate yarn?

Thats my new years resolution--well, February resolution anyway. I will no longer just randomly buy yarn. (It is OK, however, that Brooke did buy me sock yarn and some other goodies which I hope to receive tonight when I see her for the big game--Go Bears!)

So back to the book... I found a pattern called the "Dotted Scarf" that uses two colors! This is like a triple bonus! I can not only use up two skeins of my yarn, but I also get to make something from my new book to wear! The pattern is quite easy (garter stitch) but every few rows I weave in my contrasting color and thus create the "dotted" effect.

The yarn I'm using is something I bought the last time I was at the yarn store--its called Silky Wool in colors Lava and Vibrant Green. This pattern also worked out well for me because I was in such a rush at the store I didn't have them wind the skein for me and it was a nightmare to unravel. I screwed that thing up so bad I didn't know what was going on. Thank goodness Mom took it home and balled it for me! I hope to finish this scarf tonight, but we'll see!

What do you call yours?

2007-02-01T22:46:00.000-06:00

Your Boobies' Names Are...

Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding

Wow is this thing accurate or what?

Ribbit...Ribbit...

2007-02-01T22:34:00.000-06:00

<--Before

After-->

So I basically completed this entire bag and was ready to begin sewing it together when Brain called to let me know that it was completed INCORRECTLY. Yes, the entire purse was done wrong--what should have been seed stitch I did in ribbing.

I blame the pattern.

Ok, so I can't read a pattern for shit, but seriously, this one is wacko. I never had to read a pattern from right to left on rightside rows, and then left to right on wrongside rows.

Anyways... here is the progress so far. I'm almost complete with the front side of the bag. Then I'll do some bobbles and then complete the back side of the bag. ACK...its like deja vu.

I do have to say 'thanks' to Ms. Brookielou, however; the bag does look a million times better when knitted correctly since its not 3" wide and 30" long. It would have looked horrible had I not frogged it.

I'm Not Irish, But If I Were....

2007-01-10T20:44:00.000-06:00

I'd still be making this 'Irish Cables' Bag. Straight out of the book from Brookielou to Stephanie for her birthday, this is the 2nd attempt for us to finish a project together (see previous posts regarding the 'damn sweater'). The book the pattern is from is called Knitted Folk Bags.
No, we haven't met to start this together, of course-- but that's probably my fault since I went and caught myself a damned sinus infection and missed the monthly stitch n' bitch. Stupid germs.
This is my 2nd project involving cables, and my 1st project using the i-cord cast on... which I really like--although its more time consuming for a cast on than I'm used to.

Six Reasons I'm a Freak

2007-01-03T21:17:00.000-06:00

If you were evening thinking about posting a comment along the lines of "why did you limit yourself to only six reasons," well, screw you in advance!! Many thanks to Stephanie for tagging me for this little game. She did take my #6--we have the same pinky toe--afterall we are so genetically similar, or so our parents tell us.

THE RULES: Each player of this game starts with the "6 weird things about you." People who get tagged need to write a blog of their own 6 weird things as well as state this rule clearly.In the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave a comment that says ‘you are tagged’ in their comments and tell them to read your blog.

1. I can recite any part of the movie Jaws by heart. In fact, I could probably start from the opening campfire sequence and go all the way until "smile you son of a bitch" in one sitting. I also have all the trading cards for the movie.

2. I am obsessed with sharks (see #1). I read everything I can on sharks and have since... oh 3rd or 4th grade. I watch shark week religiously every year--it USED to fall around my birthday, now its in July. My favorite shark is everyones--the great white because "its got lifeless eyes, dolls eyes, black eyes..."

3. I'm afraid of the dark... very afraid.

4. I freak my shit out all the time. I can scare myself silly and have one more than one occassion sufferred from sleep paralysis because my night light went out... see #3.

5. I have lately been known to do a great Paula Dean impersonation... "Mike-ol and Aye jussst loove it!"

6. I still bite my fingernails like I did when I was in kindergarten.

I don't know 6 bloggers... so get it done already Brooke!

Work's Christmas Grab Bag

2006-12-17T13:56:00.000-06:00

I have a grab bag at work this Friday, and my person to buy for is the one girl in the office who is always cold! The catch with the gifts for the grab bag is that everyone randomly selected a letter and any gift has to somehow relate to that letter. I picked the letter "L". So... here are some Lime green Homeless Gloves (as Kathy calls them).

Its the same pattern I did a few weeks ago for myself, and she really liked them. I changed it up a bit though, and made it a bit longer (Brooke did that with hers, they fit me better so I copied her idea!). I made it from the Cascade yarn that I used for the Frill Cardigan sweater since I had an entire skein left--now its 1/2 left and I'll have to figure something out to make with that.

I'm still working on (ok haven't started yet) the pair of legwarmers for the grab bag. Going to start those today!

My First Wash Cloth!

2006-12-17T13:49:00.000-06:00

This was my first project attempting two colors! And I haven't knitted with cotton before--I've only crocheted with the cheap stuff from the big stores. I liked the pattern, although I did make ONE mistake... can you find it? I can see it clear as day.

One Down, One to Go...

2006-12-10T16:40:00.000-06:00

Here is lefty! I finished this hand this afternoon, and have righty to finish tonight. As I said below, this was my first attempt at cabling and I love it! Its so easy! I like this wool too! It knitted up prett thick so I think these will be super warm!

I haven't blocked the glove yet, so its hard to see, but I did a picot edge at the top--again MUCH easier than I thought it was going to be.

Well, back to finishing righty so I can beat Brookielou to the finish line! Haha!

New Yarn & Goodies!

2006-12-09T23:03:00.000-06:00

So Brookielou and I went to the close out sale at Kool Knits today to see what they had to offer... and low and behold they had the yarn we've been looking for! Of course, not the color that we were dreaming about, the so called Cognac (a.k.a. 'Radar' since it looks like her cat with his cute & gigantic parabolic-dish ears), but I did pick up a nice couple skeins of Nashua's Spice Market Wooly Stripes. So what will this yarn evolve into you ask? Why, what else but a pair of fingerless gloves!

This pattern starts with the cable cast on--one that I've never attempted before. That went well for me... I'm on row #2 and cranking away. This will also be my first project that has a real cable in it, so we'll see how well I'm doing when I get to row 5! Wish me luck...I think I'll need it. Hopefully I will have some pictures on here soon!

I also picked up some cotton yarn to do the washcloth both Steph & Brooke have completed, but I really want to get my fingerless gloves done since its been so cold this week. Oh... and I got some dpn's today, some markers, and something else that I can't say for someone's Christmas present!

Happy Birthday Grandma A!

2006-12-06T22:44:00.000-06:00

Today is Grandma A's 89th birthday... wow!! Shes the best grandma in the whole wide world!

I'm Baaaaack!

2006-12-06T22:21:00.000-06:00

Yes my friends, hell hath frozen over. Not only am I actually posting anything, but I have some projects finished as well.

Hopefully you can see that I have completed the Cardigan frill sweater...the picture is lousy, so bare with me. Thanks to my special sister, Stephanie, for all the help she gave me in the finishing of this sweater--she sewed the sleeves on for me since I kept having severe brain farts with every attempt! And she had the best idea for an i-cord to keep the sweater in place.

I'm not too sure how I feel about this completed project--I dont love it, but its ok. I did wear it to work and got tons of compliments on it, so I guess its ok. We'll see what the ladies at the monthly stitch-n-bitch think about it.

I also just tonight finished the Flora scarf. I used Noro Silk Garden for the body of the scarf, and combined that with some other string I also got from my mom (thanks Mom!). It was a really easy pattern to follow, and I learned a new stitch to boot. The flower is attached with the button through the middle of the petals, as well as two buttons behind the flower. I found the buttons at JoAnn fabrics...they had a ton. What's with me and that green color? No idea.

Any thoughts...?!
I have a grab bag for Christmas at work, and the rule of this is that I have to purchase a gift(s) withn the budget ($25), but it all has to start with/relate with the letter "L". I lucked out with the person I got always having cold feet so I'm gonna knit her a pair of legwarmers...but thats not all I want to get. Do you have any ideas? Let me know!! We'll be exchanging gifts on the 21st...so hurry and help! Please!

Where's Waldo?!

2006-11-11T18:13:00.000-06:00

OK so this isn't a picture of Waldo, but take a wild guess at who it is. If you guessed Xi Shun, you're right! This is the world's tallest living man, at towering at 7 feet 9 inches, this guy's a giant... not sure if he's a real 'giant' with six fingers & toes and two rows of teeth (at least one hand had 5 fingers we're sure of)... but this guy is enormous!

I've met the tallest woman in the world, Sandy Allen, around my 10th birthday when my family took a road trip to Niagara Falls. She was the star at the Ripley's Believe It or Not museum. Pretty amazing how tall she really is when standing next to her (even as a ten year old)...and this guy's almost two inches taller. Those are two people I would definately not sit behind in the movie theater.

What's NOT on the needles?

2006-11-07T23:11:00.000-06:00

I must be taking lessons from the unwanted little sister since I've started another project before completion of the cardigan... shame on me! I decided that with the cold weather (colder) weather on its way here, what better to keep my legs warm than a good old pair of legwarmers. So I ran out to the knit shop near work (to just pick up a cable needle in preparation of my 'next' project) and found some yarn that looked interesting...and no its not just brown (although I did pick up some chocolate brown baby alpaca too! I love brown!!). I have one leg done...well, not "done" done, just have a little sewing to do.

This was my first attempt at the seed stitch/moss stitch/chickenskin stitch or whatever the hell its called. I like the way that looks...althought I'm not really a fan of having to pay that much attention to whether or not I have to knit or have to purl. I will say, however, that after some hand-cramping, I've spiced up my knitting technique to get either (knit or purl) done quite fast. Could I have stumbled upon Brooke's knitting method? I believe I have. We'll find out for sure next stitch n' bitch next week.

Cardigan status update: still incomplete.

"Branching Out" Scarf

2006-10-27T18:12:00.000-06:00

I finished this scarf a while back--sometime between the start and finish of the Lace Leaf Sweater (aka that damn sweater)--but finally got the camera out and took a picture. I liked the pattern, and it wasn't difficult at all (as long as I kept my focus!). The pattern was free off of Knitty.com--its from the Spring 2005 catalog. You can find it in their archives under scarves.

Since its a lace pattern, I wasn't thinking this was going to be a great winter scarf, I made it rather short. I think with the right snazzy pin, it would look perfect! This wasn't the yarn that the pattern called for, but I didn't care--I bought the stuff a year ago and didn't know what to do with it. This project was one I did to take a break from 'the damn sweater'.

I knitted it on size 11 needles, and used Noro Silk Garden yarn... it's very soft! I like the colors with this yarn, but the only thing that got to be a bit annoying was that the thickness changes so frequently! I got used to it though, and I'm glad I did because otherwise I don't think I'd have finished.

I recently also found a similar pattern off another website--but instead of a scarf the pattern is repeated widthwise as well as lengthwise to make a shawl. They had a matching pattern for a hat on there that I'd like to try as well. All this is AFTER I finish the cardigan, of course!

Cardigan Status--

Almost finished! I'm about 1/4 way through with the frill. I can't wait to get it off my needles! Stay tuned...!

Go Toe Jammers!!

2006-10-24T22:50:00.001-06:00

No knitting tonight! Had to lose...err play...another game of kickball.

So I was speed knitting through my cardigan all week and almost feel guilty that I haven't picked up my needles today! Not guilty enough to stay up late and knit tonight, but enough to blog about it haha!

Stephanie and Brooke stopped by last night for a knitting session... and thank goodness too! Now I know how to pick up stitches without making any holes (thanks Steph!) and I got to see all the great yarn that Brooke ordered last week.

My progress on the cardigan: just frilling the edges left to complete. I'm so excited to get this done if only so I can start another project. I think I'm becoming addicted to knitting. And I'm getting better too! I don't need to knit with a needle poking in my chest or anything! (Apparently you're not supposed to knit poking the needle in your chest so you have a free hand. Even though it works, the possibility for injuries increases tenfold with this technique)

For my next project, I think I'm going to attempt something with cables! From what I've seen, it doesn't look too difficult (I realize I've just jinxed myself now). But I've been known to foul up simple things, so we'll see. (Like this cardigan sweater and that damn right panel I had to do three times... oh and then the left panel--the one I finished first-- was actually the right panel... I could have just used that all the long. Instead I had to rip THAT one out too and redo it. Whats wrong with me?! How embarassing!)

Hopefully I'll have this sweater done tomorrow... ok by next week. I think I'll get quite a bit done tomorrow though since its my TV night... Jericho and Lost! Oh and The Nine--but I'm only watching that because I don't understand how it can be a tv show, and I'm too busy knitting to get up and find the remote.

Until next time... happy knitting!

Speaking of Fall....

2006-10-21T17:08:00.000-06:00

I just got off the phone with our friend, Brookielou. (thats her and Harry on the right). She's in Kentucky (or KY as she calls it) riding Harry in competition. She must have whispered something shocking in Harry's ear while jumping today since he stopped so abruptly she lost her seat and fell off him! Don't worry, she's ok! She landed on her feet! How the hell she managed that amazes me!

Good luck this weekend, Brooke & Harry!!

Fall Has the Best Colors

2006-10-21T16:35:00.000-06:00

My serviceberry tree looked so great today! I wanted to remember the shade of orange the leaves turned in hopes I could find a matching color yarn for my next project (not sure what that is yet). All the rest of the plants in my yard look gross since they've retired for winter... but my tree she's so pretty! I think out of all the seasons, fall is my favorite.

I worked on the frill cardigan again today, and I think I'll be ready to sew soon enough. I have only one sleeve and then the frill left to complete. I am debating whether or not to sew the cardigan panels together and then do the fringe... but I should probably follow the pattern to the letter so we'll see. Well, come to think of it, the pattern may say to sew before making the frill edges. But I read it a couple times and felt dumber each time! So in my confusion just went back to knitting a sleeve. I'm hoping Stephanie will call me back ever and answer my question.

No pictures taken of that sweater yet... hopefully will get one on here once I have some of it sewn together! I can't wait to wear it, so it shouldn't be long!

Frill Cardigan Sweater

2006-10-19T20:45:00.000-06:00

This is my latest project. I started it last Friday and hope to have it done this weekend... keyword hope.
It started off really well, I finished the back panel and left panels super fast! Then the dastardly right panel and I declared war on one another.

Ok, so its not the sweaters problem, but my lack of reading the pattern correctly... which is funny since only two days ago I claimed how proud I was that I am "pattern literate". Well, I'm still in kindergarden I think. I had to rip and start that darn thing twice so far. And why? Because I can't read numbers either apparently. I casted on the wrong number of stitches TWICE. So... after 42 rows knit/purl, rip out, scream, 42 rows knit/purl, rip out, scream and pull my hair out, and another final 42 rows knit/purl, I'm back where I was Tuesday night. I blame it on the boob-tube... I had to watch Lost last night and wasn't paying attention to my stitches! Why am I admitting this on my blog? Because I figure everyone has done this... ok so I'm really hoping I'm not the only moron whose done this before.

I'm using cascade yarn in Grannie Smith color. So far I'm really pleased with the way this is turning out. I haven't really blocked my panels yet, but I layed them out to help keep the edges from rolling so when I get (err, if I get) to the point when I need to sew it will go smoothly. I'll be sure to post pictures soon, but only after the right panel stops its revolution against me!

The Lace Leaf Beast Is Complete!

2006-10-17T21:57:00.000-06:00

My soon-to-be Master Knitter sister, Stephanie, had the brilliant idea to have a little knit club where we all do the same project--you know, meet at someone's house, have some food and wine, and knit... we met once, right after we got the yarn. Even though I had feelings of abandonment, I have to admit that this project boosted my self-esteem in regards to reading a pattern... I feel literate now! YAY!
I'm not completely happy with the way the sleeves meet the shoulders, so I'm not showing that yet... I'm hoping the pictures I took were freaks of nature that just happened to accentuate everything I was unhappy with. Until then here's some pictures of the sleeve details and collar.

I can't tell if I'm more excited that I actually finished a project--or if its that I finished this one.

What do you think of it? Do you think the button is too plain? (By the way, you should probably know that I'm completely obsessed with brown sweaters--although this one is not my ideal brown, it was the closest color in the yarn I found.)

Holy Shit... I'm Blogging!

2006-10-17T20:45:00.000-06:00

Well, I guess hell has frozen over, since I'm here... blogging for the first time ever! Be patient with me... I'm a noobie!

So my sister and a dear friend Brooke (thats Brooke with an E at the end!) have bombarded the internet with their own blogs, so I figured it was about time I share myself with the rest of the world. Since knitting is the premise for our blogs, I picked Wild N' Wooly... but now I'm wondering if that was a good idea-- its starting to remind me of a big merkin a hooker would wear... oops, oh well!

I also don't raise sheep... thats my dog, Mac. He can be quite wild tho! If I could only spin his fur...

I am a new knitter...so if anyone happens to find their way to this site and is a knitter, chances are you're a pro next to me. But I am so excited to finish have finished the Lace Leaf Sweater... aka "that fucking sweater" that I figured I'd start my blog with the completion of the beast. But more on that later...

Anyways, if you've meandered your way to my blog thanks for stopping by!
Stop by again and see if I've moved up the bell curve with my knitting capabilities--I'm at the bottom right now but hope to move up quick!