April Lady Sweater?

I started my FLS back in March, planning on bringing it to Puerto Rico and actually finishing it. Turns out that I didn't knit one stitch while I was in San Juan, only on the plane on the way down. Once I was home, I sort of lost interest for a bit and decided to just set it aside until the mood struck once again. During that hiatus, I was able to start and finish Owls and I was just dreaming of casting on Liesl. I told myself "project monogamy is the only way I will get these pieces done!" So I limited myself to casting on (and finishing) Owls and then back to the FLS!

Once I completed Owls, as I mentioned in my previous post, I bought the perfect buttons for my FLS to motivate me to finish the bugger. It must have worked because it was done within the week! I <3 how my FLS turned out!


It's not the best pic but it's gray and raining out so I had to use the flash. I'll attempt a better pic on a nice day. Here's a close up of the buttons.


The other night I cast on for Liesl. I decided to do the short version with the lower neckline, which isn't very low at all. I'm using Dreamweave, which is a wool/silk blend in an avocado green. I'm on on the 11th row of the yoke but it's already 2-2 1/2 inches long, so I think that once I get into it I will be able to breeze through. I only have 3 skeins in my stash (318 yds) but the sweater only calls for 260, so I'm cutting it close and really wish that I had an extra skein due to my track record. Well, I'm just going to jump in with my fingers crossed. Wish me luck!

I <3 Three Day Weekends

Today is Patriot's Day (in the Boston area) so that means no work for moi! I got to relax this morning, clean my house (and my oven!) and go to the gym all before 3pm. Ahhh, 3 day weekends rock.

This weekend also brought a visit from my mom. She got in at 2pm on Fri so we got to hang around for a couple of days, do a little shopping and eat JP Licks (mmmm, Rice Dice Cream!). She got me some treats (pictured below) at Anthropologie that I would never have bought for myself. I love these vintage looking bowls and cloth napkins!

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On Thurs, I went to Windsor Button after work. I was in search if button eyes for my Owls sweater and some buttons for my February Lady Sweater. I found some pearly yellow-green buttons eyes and sewed them onto one owl in the front and one owl in the back on Saturday morning.

I had my sights set on something clear or transparent for the FLS because I didn't want it to look too overdone. It's busy enough as it is with the lace and the variegated blue yarn. So I settled for a clear and transparent blue button. They looked perfect when I layed them over the button band so they had to come home with me.


I'm almost there with the FLS. I have the body and 1/2 of one of the sleeves already done. I can't wait to finish it and to wash, block and sew on the buttons. I'm just dying to wear it!

It All Worked Out in the End!

Yesterday I received my Web's order containing the skein of Berroco Comfort in Copen Blue needed to finish just the neck ribbing of my Owls sweater (I was able to use scrap pieces to knit the short rows!). I seamed up the underarms and all my ends are woven in!

I tried it on and it fit pretty well. There's slight looseness in the upper back which seems to be a common problem with this pattern. I just need to sew on the buttons, that I found in my odds & ends button box, to one of the owls. Now, if only it wasn't going to be in the 50s & 60s this week!

In other knitting progress, I've picked up my FLS again after a few week-hiatus. I'm loving the colorway-- it's brighter than this pic.

Next up on the docket is Liesl. I'm thinking about using Lion Brand Cotton-Ease in Maize. I'm not sure about the length but I've been thinking about the middle length.

Holy Shit-- I ran out of Yarn!!!

I swear that this has never happened to me before. I don't know what's going on. It's not you-- it's me.
I canNOT believe it-- I ran out of yarn with mere rows to complete before my Owls sweater could be completed! I don't even think that it was a miscalculation on my part. I thought that I ordered 1 extra skein, as a matter or fact. Do you see what I have left around the neck of my dress form? WTF!?

I'm so bummed b/c I was supposed to finish my sweater last night while watching Heroes. That was the plan. I noticed that the ball I was knitting from was shirking exponentially but figured that I'd have just enough-- no suck luck. I'm still in shock that this could happen to me.

On a whim, I pulled up the WEB's page before bed last night and guiltily order another skein but who knows if the new dye lot will match. I'm soooo disappointed. I was just a few short rows and some ribbing away from a comfy Owls sweater. Wah.

Owls

I cast on for Owls on Saturday. The thing that I love about bulky weight projects is that they knit up so fast! I'm almost done with the body. And I've already decided that I'm not going to put buttons eyes on every owl-- only one. Button eyes on every owl is just too much for me.

The only thing that makes me nervous is that the end product may not look good on me. I don't usually knit projects that call for bulky weight yarns because I just don't need the added bulk to my already bulky frame. But this one may be different. As I look through the Ravelry project gallery, I've noticed that lots of the comments says that though this is a bulky weight project, it has enough shaping to still be flattering. I hope that I feel that way too when I'm done.

What a great way to start the day....

I started my day/ended my night on a red-eye from San Fran (this particular leg was from Las Vegas) to Boston. I didn't get an ounce of sleep thanks to a bratty, shouting, crying child. Don't people have any consideration...who takes a child on a midnight flight out of Vegas? People like to sleep on red-eye flights-- obviously a screaming, un-parented child is going to prevent that from happening. So now I'm in my 37th our of wakefullness and I'm to the point of being so overtired that I can't sleep. A couple of ativans before bed ought to do the trick.

And, yes, my California trip was chock full of fun. We'll see how my return to reality goes tomorrow. Now onto knitting content.

I had a pretty productive trip knitting-wise. I actually finished my Tree Jacket which was long over due! It turned out okay. Like many others, the sleeves are much too big but then again it's supposed to be a loose-fitting sweater. I like it alright. It came in handy while I was in San Francisco-- it was pretty chilly there during our stay. Picturess to come.

This is an exhibit showing that several Alcatraz inmates learned to knit to pass the time. These men had real balls-- pun intended!

I also started and finished two baby hats for a couple of people that I work with. One's tiny, for a preemie and one is maybe 0-3 months size. There's nothing better that coming back from a vacation with presents ;-)

"Downtown, Everything's Waiting for Yo-ou... downtown"

Yes, jury duty has been a PIA but the benefits have also been great. No, I'm not talking about being given the opportunity to perform my civil obligation of serving on a jury. I'm talking about actually taking a lunch break (as opposed to scarfing down a balance bar at my desk while I work) and getting to browse through stores that I'd otherwise have to wait for the weekend and a specific T ride downtown for. Everyday I've been able to grab some soup for lunch (my fav on a chilly day!) and leisurely browse through H&M and Windsor Button without any specific task in mind. It's been fabulous. And, yes, costly. Here are some of my finds...yes, only some.


Not to mention the adorable shoes I picked up at Payless, yes I said Payless. These are too adorable to have been at Payless but what a score!


In knitting, I finished Jorge's fingerless mitts and the pink fingerless mitts I was making for myself but have decided to give to Rebecca. I already cast on for another pair which will be for me!

Small Updates

On Sunday, during the fourteenth hour of watching football, I finished knitting the fingerless mitts that I was working on but am yet to work the duplicate stitching that I've planned. This is partly due to procrastination and partly due to my drawing up shitty charts on graph paper.

I finished sewing on Kristin's Juliet's buttons but still need to get it in the mail to her. Unfortunately, I had jury duty yesterday and then got selected to serve on a jury so it's been hard to find time to get my ass over to the post office.

Though I have sad some time, when we're not in the courtroom, to get a little knitting in! I finished the first sleeve of my Tree Jacket. I turned out HUGE. I followed the pattern but still it's kinda big. Not sure if I should frog it and re-knit or deal with it. I better decide so I can move onto the second sleeve.


Being downtown at the courthouse has definitely disrupted my daily routine but it has it's perks. Yesterday I got to stop by Windsor Button on my way home and pick up a couple skeins of Brown Sheep's Lamb's Pride Worsted in two lovely variegated shades. One's a lovely mix of pinks and the other is rich teals. Both are gorgeous. I've already started knitting with the pink-- a pair of fingerless mitts for me!

What I've been up to (in the crafty sense)

I went to the Bazaar Bizarre on Sunday and got a few goodies and tons of ideas! I have a bad habit of thinking to myself as I browse the tables, "I can do that!" But I need to remind myself that just because I can doesn't mean that I will or that I shouldn't support indie crafters! So I bought some really cool pieces of fabric and Jorge bought me a cool necklace and pair of earrings.

Sunday was also Community Day at the ICA. This means FREE admission! It was fun to see the new building (well they've been there for ~1 year now) and the neat exhibits. And for FREE-- ya can't beat that! I think that there's one day a week from, like, 5-7 or 9 that admission is free...maybe Thursdays. Everyone should check it out at least once.

In knitting, I attended a finishing class on Tues night with Devon at A Good Yarn instructed by Allison of The Blue Blog. It basically reinforced that I do know my finishing techniques. I just need to practice them. I try to never do any modular knitting because I dread finishing but I should give it a try once all of my WIPs are off the needles.

Speaking of WIPs, I have 3 right now. A baby hat, which I'm totally dragging my feet on, my Tree Jacket, and my sister's Juliet, which I've just short of abandoned. Right now I'm in sleeve hell with my Tree Jacket...sooooooo boring.

Hopefully, I can make a big push to finish all three up before Christmas so I can start a fresh project for my travels and stay with my family in NY-- I'm sure I'll need a mental get-away at some point ;-)

Going to the Frog Pond...
Tell me, can you see the mistake I've made? Come on, look closely.... If you haven't figured it out, let me show you. It should look like this. I must have flipped it somehow and worked the WS as if it were the RS.

It's not like I'm that far into this project but I hate to rip out work that's taken me so long to accomplish. If I continue on, leaving my mistake, it will haunt me every time I wear the FO. Or, worse yet, I will never wear the FO-- I hate to do that since I love the pattern sooooo much. So I guess there really aren't any other options-- I will frog to the point of where the raglan increases begin and make sure to be very aware of the RS this time around!

Look at this little contraption! Love it! It's now waiting for it's counterpart to arrive from Joann's (with free shipping & a 50% off coupon it only ran me $30!). This yarn was wound into a neat little "yarn cake" in under 2 minutes. How could any knitter not love that!? No knots to untangle. No need to coerce the BF to hold his arms out for extended periods of time to help with the ball-winding process. No more time taken from my knitting. It's knitter's freedom in a 9oz package-- sweet!

I'm thinking about CO for the Fitted Tank to give myself a break from the agony of ripping my Puff Sleeve Feminine Cardi. I think it'll actually be a quick knit, but we'll see. Sometimes I'm a knitting Speed Racer and sometimes I'm a knitting slug. I'm an unpredictable knitter. It keep you all on your toes ;-)

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I knit this last weekend for a soon to be born bebe...

I may have to knit one for myself this winter. I'm serious.

Oh Sad Day
So I got too busy this week and forgot to cast my vote for the SKC KAL. Oh well, I couldn't choose between the three I listed in my last entry anyways...not that any of them won.

It was decided again that the next SKC KAL would be a double KAL as the last two were. The two winning patterns are Fifi and the Red Carpet Convertible Pattern. Neither really interest my much. They're both a bit ornate for my taste.

I decided that I would have my own Sexy Knitter KAL-- even if I have to do it by myself! First I will finish the PSC and then I will cast on for Fitted Tank in Tomato.

Not much actual knitting happening here

So I haven't been speed knitting at all lately. I've been a little unmotivated and kinda tired. Work has been really busy between recruiting and interviewing and every project that had to be done yesterday, I'm feeling a little overwhelmed. My job is annoying right now so I'm going to blame it for sucking the creative energy right outta me!

I CO for the Puff Sleeve Feminine Cardigan from Fitted Knits by Stephanie Japel. I've been holding off on CO this on but thinking about it constantly. So, here it goes. I'm only ~20 rows in but the yarn called for in the pattern is nice to knit with and the pattern seems pretty easy to follow so far. I can't wait until I'm at the point where I can go button shopping (at Windsor Button, of course) for this cardigan. I originally thought that I wanted to use pearl buttons but now I'm thinking that maybe I'll use cutely shaped plastic buttons in a bright contrasting color. We'll see-- I've only done the collar so far, so I have a lot to knit before the buttons need to be picked out.

I received my June non-wool skein of yarn from my secret pal from the No Sheep Swap. She sent me gorgeous HandMaiden Seasilk. It's amazing and sooo soft! The colorway is called Woodland. A pattern came along in the package for a scarf but I'm not sure if it's my style. Any suggestions as to what pattern works well with this yarn?






I decided to make a (tiny) swatch of this lovely cotton tape I received from my secret pal Sharon the Knitter's Treat Exchange a couple of months ago. It's Cherry Tree Hill Rainbow Ribbon in Sugar Maple. It's soft and light and reminds me of me of melting Popsicles. I have 262 yd of this beautiful stuff and I'm still not sure what to do with it. Has anyone knit with this yarn before?




The top 20 nominations for the next SKC KAL are up so go vote! I'm debating between three: Lillian, Fitted Tank, and Tulip. So many great choices! Ok, I'm off to rest for a bit and hopefully work on my PSC for a bit before supper.

Vacationing and NO knitting!



I just returned the other night from Orlando, Florida. We went for 5 days and our itinerary was absolutely packed. We went to MGM, Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Sea World and Typhoon Lagoon. It was about 90 degrees and exhausting! This is us at Magic Kingdom taking our own picture!

I brought my Lelah-Lotus Blossom Tank along and didn't touch it once. We were so busy each day and by the time we'd get back to the hotel at night we were beat. As much fun as it was-- it was equally draining.

Since I've been home I've had knitting on the brain. For some reason I feel like I'm over the Lelah-LBT. I know I should work on it but I'm not motivated to do so. The puff-sleeved cardigan from Fitted Knits had been sounding really good right now. Also, I want to make a baby hat for the BF's ex-gf who's having a baby in August. I know what you're all thinking-- it's weird for me to make her a gift for her unborn child but I really like making baby items, so it's really a selfish act. (Plus, I'm just being bitchy/catty/gossipy here, but she prego with the child of the guy that she left my BF for in the first place...kinda funny, huh!?)

So, I need to get back into the swing of things and get my creative juices flowing once again. Also, my bestfriend just got engaged so I have to start thinking about favors and wedding stuff to help her out...I am the Maid of Honor, afterall!

...Gone!


Here's my mom wearing her new sweater...

...Going....

Going...

Maybe it's not so far fetched!

I'm thinking that maybe, just maybe I will have it done by Memorial Day !

Rusted Root, Take 2!


Well, I didn't have nearly as many difficulties CO for this project as I had the last time. I'm only 20 rounds in but it's coming along nicely. I really need to concentrate on this one and crank it out so I can have it to my mom for her birthday on June 14th. I really hope that she's ok with the color. I like the color-- that's why I bought the yarn in the first place ;-) She has a nice olive complexion so I thought that it would look nice on her in the spring/summer when she's a little tan. I know no matter what she will say that she likes it and will be very grateful for the gift. My mom is coming to visit me here in Boston from NY Memorial Day weekend-- I wish that I could knit faster and have it ready for her then but I don't think it's possible. A girl can dream...

So, this is what I've been up to...

I went shopping yesterday and bought some time herb plants, potting soil, several clay pot and a little shrub. I re-potted the tiny herbs into larger pots so they have room to grow and just re-potted the shrub in a clay pot.


As for knitting, I've started the LBT and have decided to make it a hybrid of a design, Lelah, I saw on Craftster(like another Craftster did). I'm doing the the Lelah lace (fishtail lace) pattern and the LBT top. Lace knitting takes forever!!! I've been working on it on and off for the last couple of days and I barely have two inches to show for it.


I sent my mom a pic of my completed Rusted Root and she loved it!!! I'm thinking of making her one for her birthday next month. I have the yarn...I just have to knit it! Maybe I'll CO for that tonight. I don't have to swatch because I'm using the same yarn as before and I was able to get gauge easily. Since she's smaller than I am, her sweater will be smaller therefore knit up quicker. I hope that I can gt it done. She'd be so happy!

Tiiiiin Roof...Rusted!
I finished Rusted Root and am proudly wearing it today. It turned out well. My only problem was getting started with this pattern-- and that had nothing to do with the pattern at all. But once I got into it I enjoyed it. The mindless stockinette wasn't too boring because once per round I'd have the lace panel to work. All in all, the pattern was an easy knit and easy to follow. Thanks Zephyr Gals!

Next up is the Lotus Tank. I will swatch the cream KnitPicks Cotlin tonight and hopefully get started soon. I'm going to Florida the first week of June and I'd love to have it done to take along. We'll see how much life gets in the way of my knitting.