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.

Crafty, but not Knitty!
Today Devon and I visited The Wake Up the Earth in Jamaica Plain, my neighborhood. There were local businesses, food vendors, local crafters/artists, musicians, dancers-- a regular three-ring hippy circus. I usually love the jewelry that I see at this festival but not much caught my eye that I didn't think to myself "I can make that!" This is what I bought....couldn't help myself:I have no idea what I will do with them but for some reason I just couldn't resist these little knitted guys.

As usual, I'm still chugging along a few rows at a time on my Rusted Root. I'm seriously ready to be finished and wearing the FO. I also want to CO for this: The Lotus Tank! My memory has failed me yet again...I thought that that the pattern sample was in a cream color but this picture proves my mind wrong. Anyways, I'm still making my version in a neutral cream color. I make actually modify this pattern a bit. I'm thinking about doing a different stitch pattern on the bodice. I don't know how I feel about the one in the pattern and I'll definitely be knitting it to hip length. Well, soon enough.

What the hell....
I hate when a post mysteriously doesn't offer comments....I just don't get Blogger sometimes--very inconsistent!
Grrr....

I'm half-way there!
I got a nice chunk of knitting done this weekend. It's funny, sometime when I feel like shit I can't concentrate on anything but sometimes I can block everything out and just go with it. Yesterday I was able to just go with it. I'm about 50% done with Rusted Root and just itching to wear it. I tried it on last night and I think that it's going to fit ok-- at least it accommodates my chest which is a feat in and of itself (I always have a problem with that!). I have a feeling that the FO will be a bit loose but it's better than too tight right!?



The yarn that I purchased from KnitPicks a few weeks ago has been in the back of my mind. I bought yarn for The Puff-Sleeved Cardigan and yarn for The Lotus Tank...but I can't decide which to CO first! As I knit away on my RR, I find my mind wandering and daydreaming about The Lotus Tank. Is that a sign?

I decided on the CotLin in a neutral cream for the Lotus tank. I think it pretty much the same color as it was in the magazine where the pattern was published (different yarn though). I hardly ever chose the color of the pattern sample but in the case I did. I figured that it would be a nice neutral for the spring/summer in a breathable yarn. Hope that I'm able to CO for this piece soon, which is short for I really want to have my RR completed, like, tomorrow! A girl can dream!

My KTE Package has Arrived!
So my package from my secret KTE pal arrived yesterday! It is great-- I was totally spoiled! She sent me two magazines: knitsimple and Knit'n'Style, Cherry Tree Hill Rainbow Ribbon in Maple Sugar (lovely and cotton!), chocolate among other fabulous treats! Thank you Sharon for being such a fabulous KTE partner! Go check out Sharon's blog .Also, a bit of Rusted Root progress. I'm just about 45 rounds in and I'm finally liking what I see. The lace is starting to look like lace. Thanks to Hattie over at the SKC for her kind advice pertaining to the lace panel in the project. I'm knitting tonight after work with my JP knitting ladies (mmm, maybe an official name!?) so hopefully I'll be making even more progress.

Progress and Presents!
So there ya have it...I'm only 23 rounds in but at least I'm in!
So far I'm not really in love with my lace but maybe it's only
because I don't have enough done to see the full picture. I really
need to get going on this project because I really do enjoy the
process of knitting once I'm actually motivated enough to do so.
And I wouldn't mind having a new sweater to wear!


Also, here's are my KTE goodies wrapped and packaged and ready to be mailed out. I love the sense of accomplishment to have completed a task. I hope that my gift is well received by my giftee. My gifter sent my package out yesterday so it should be here relatively soon. It'll be nice to get a present in the mail.

SKC got me Dizzay!!!
So, looks like the SKC is back to blogger from typepad ....ahhhh! Now we all have to be invited again to post for the current KAL. Because of all the blog switching the KAL hasn't been very motivational at all, but thanks to Jeanie we're going to be back up and running....and motivating each other again very soon. I NEED the motivation, especially at this time.

I've been having some problems in my personal life that are not helping my lack of motivation to knit. I really want to knit but it's been really difficult to concentrate on much of anything right now. I'm just very sad lately and have been living inside my own head. I really hope I can get through this. I wish I had more friends in Boston...I've been sort of lonely lately.

If there are any like-minded ladies in Boston speak up ;-) Us chicks need to stick together. A special thank you to Devon for her support and friendship.

I'm almost done packing up my KTE gift for my secret pal. Hopefully I'll be able to send her package out to her on Fri or Sat.

Happy knitting/gifting/crafting to all...

Rusted Root: again and again and again...

I started fresh, and so far so good (can someone please knock on wood for me!?). I'm trying to be very careful this time. I really love this sweater so I am determined to give it my all.

On another note, I have started to put serious thought into my KTE package for my secret pal. It's so much fun to play detective to try to figure out what she likes. I plan on making a couple top-secret gifts for her which will be a fun way to spend tomorrow afternoon ;-)

Rusted Root , my ass!

Rusted root has become the bane of my knitting existence. If it's not the multiple CO issue it's making mistakes with the increases on the wrong rounds. Ahhhh....I plan on just rip, rip, ripping out out tonight and starting over yet again. I couldn't even bring myself to photograph my so-called progress knowing I was going to have to frog my project. Oh well, that's knitting for you.

I decided to make a few purchases on Amazon & knitpicks to soothe my soul. I bought yarn for the Puff Sleeved Cardigan from Fitted Knits and yarn for the Lotus Tank from last Summer's IK. Also, non-knitting related, I bought myself a new fragrance: By by Dolce and Gabbana from Amazon. My mom has it and I tried it on when I was home and decided that I needed to have it too! I also decided to order No Sheep for You by Amy Singer through Amazon on the recommendation of my KTE secret pal. I listened to a podcast while on the Chinatown bus last week to NYC and was totally intrigued.

Well, that's all for now.

Rusted Root

So I knit my gauge swatch on Sunday. Luckily, and to my surprise, I came up with the exact gauge called for in the pattern. But that was the end of my luck...

I cast on too tight at first. So I cast on again....too loose. Then I can once yet another time and started knitting the first round and made a mistake and ripped it out for the third time.

I don't know what my problem was but it just wasn't in the cards for me to actually start the sweater on Sunday. I did end up casting on (hopefully for the final time!) yesterday evening and I think I'm finally good to go. I just need some nice quiet knitting time to get it going.

You can't really tell from the picture but this green is actually a lot brighter...more kelly green than piney green like it appears in the picture. I'm really pleased with the color. Now I just hope that I can actually get knitting and turn out a fabulous FO!

SKC KAL
I just received my Holly Green Cotton Fleece for my rendition of Rusted Root for the SKC KAL, which starts today. It's the perfect grassy green I was looking for! I was planning on gauge swatching last night but I decided to finish up a few WIPs instead so I would be able to fully concentrate on Rusted Root today.

I finished Le Slouche last night. Cute, but who knows when I'll get to wear it at this point:

Also I promised the bf awhile back that I would add "thumbs" to his red VooDoo (from Knitty) arm/wrist warmers from last year. He begged for thumbs after he saw my Fetchings (also Knitty) completeted. Since I loaned out the correct sided DPNs needed for this project I had to go down a couple of needle sizes...I'm really not happy with how they turned out:
Maybe it's partially because they aren't in the best shape....he doesn't take care of his hand-knits like I would. And partially because of the gauge of the "new" knitted thumbs. Oh well. However, I do like how Isis's cute little head is in the pic ;-)

Ok, enough rambling....I need to go start on a gauge swatch. Yay...

TGIF!!!

Hats and 60 degree days don't exactly mesh....oh well, I'm not done anyways. Here's another progress pic:



Also here's a pic of the Sparkle Hat from SnB that I knit for my mom while I was home a few weeks ago:

Seed Stitch and Me are learning to be friends!

I've always felt that seed stitch is soooo tedeous. As a matter of fact, I still do. This project has been a reminder as to why I shy away from using seed stitch-- it's so time consuming. I'm only 2 inches into the body of Le Slouche and I've been knitting a bit each night since Monday. Granted I get bored of after a few round of seed stitch and put the project down but still ;-) I'm an average speed knitter, but this stitch pattern is holding me back from finishing my project before the weather gets too warm to allow me to wear it! Grrrr..

Le Slouche
Last night I made my gauge swatch and cast on for Le Slouche-- a slouchey beret-style hat. I know, I know-- it's late in the season for a hat, but I've always loved berets. And it's about time that I made something for myself! I'm using heathered-gray lion brand wool-ease. Cheap stuff, but good for the purpose.
Once Le Slouche has been completed, I will be joining the Sexy Knitters Club spring double-knit-a-long. The patterns chosen are Rusted Root by Zephyr and Sahara by StitchDiva. For now, I'm only planning on knitting Rusted Root. Not sure if I'd actually wear Sahara. I think I'm going to knit Rusted Root in a grassy green. I have to actually go yarn shopping for this one. I do not have a good yarn substitute in my stash for this project. Hopefully, I'll find some nice Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece in the right shade. Anyone wanna go yarn shopping???

Knitters Treat Exchange Questionnaire

1. What's your favourite type of yarn?
Cotton blends, super-soft premium acrylics (wool allergy!)

2. What's your least favourite type of yarn?
Straight up wool-- makes me itch!

3. What's the first thing you do when you visit a new yarn shop?
Touch, touch, touch in search of softness

4. What other crafts do you do / would like to do?
Jewelry-making, painting, collaging, cooking

5. What magazines do you currently subscribe to?
Interweave Knits, Knit.1, Domino, Allure,

6. Put this type of magazine in order of preference:
Knitting / Food / Home / Other Craft / Fashion / Garden/ Crochet / Celebrity Gossip

7. What items do you like to knit / crochet?
I love to knit small projects for their instant gratification: hats, toys, mitts

8. Are you allergic to anything?
Peaches, wool

9. What do you like to* smell of?
(*This is not a typo. The question is: What do you like to smell of)
Soft, clean scents with light floral notes for Spring & Summer and richer, spicier scent in Fall & Summer

10. What's your favourite way to relax?
Glass of red wine, curled on the couch with a good book or a movie and my boy

11. You're stood in front of a Victorian style sweetshop, an Italian cafe, an old fashioned bakery and a dainty tea room. Where do you go first?
Italian Cafe

12. What do you come out with?
Canoli & Cappuccino

13. Where do you go next?
An old-fashioned bakery

14. Any other words of wisdom for your pal?

Knit, what else can I do?
So here's yet another hat. I think I've been knitting small projects all week to keep my hands and mind occupied. I'm having trouble coping with illness right now. My maternal grandfather (my Pop) has a 30 year history of heart disease. He's been through numerous procedures including by-pass surgery in the 70's, angioplasties, stent placements, removal of the pericardium, etc. He's always been so strong-- a real fighter. We always joked that he was like a Timex: "takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin"! But this time it's bad. There's nothing else that they can do for him. He's so skinny and weak. A shadow of his former self. I've always been very close to my maternal grandparents. It's just so hard to accept.

To top it all off, my paternal grandfather was admitted to the hospital on Friday night with cardiac problems. He's scheduled to have a mitral valve replacement, a huge open-heart procedure, tomorrow. Talk about adding to my stress. My dad's going to fly down to Florida from NY either tonight or tomorrow. I think he's going to be okay. I feel guilty that I'm not as worried or saddened by this as I am for my Pop. We were just never very close. I'm more concerned with my how my dad's mom is coping, but my dad will be there for her.

I made this hat for my Gram (my maternal grandmother). I know that there's nothing I can do to better this situation so I felt like I had to make something that I can give to her. I know it's not going to make up for the fact that she's going to lose her husband, but I feel totally powerless. It's just been really hard to come to terms with.
Update 3/14/07: My Pop passed late Friday night after I arrived in NY to see him for the last time. I got to tell him that I loved him. It was really hard. And, yes, my Gram loved the hat. I even knit my Mom a hat while I was home with my family ;-)

Oh, Baby!
Here's the cutie-cute-cute hat I made in a couple of hours for my co-workers infant. The pattern is the Umbilical Cord Hat for baby from the Stitch'n'Bitch book by Debbie Stoller. Apparently one of her 3-year-old twins is totally obsessed with the color yellow hence the color choice for the hat. I hope that I'm not too late-- the baby is about 4-months-old at this point. Guess I should of had this done sooner. Oh well, better late than never. Hope the mommy likes this gift.

Take Two...
So, here's an attempt at making my own 3-hour sweater. The color is not nearly as bright as it is in the picture. It's more of a dark teal. I knit this while watching "The Departed" with the boy this afternoon. I decided to knit it in the round because seaming sucks and I hate to have to do it unnecessarily. I contemplated making the version either sleeveless or long-sleeved. I know-- those choices do not sound like they make sense, but I'm not too fond of short sleeved sweaters. At least if it's sleeveless I can comfortably wear a jacket over it or a blouse under it. With long-sleeves, I'll be warm....

It's a done deal!
So, here it is. I just need to add the little pearl button to the top to form the key-hole and the single crochet edge around the neckline. Unfortunately, I have no idea how to crochet the edge. Can anyone help me with that? Guess I'll have to learn before I send it off to the giftee. For my first sweater, I'm quite pleased. It's extremely itchy because it has a strand of mohair which I cannot tolerate, but I know my friend isn't as skin-sensitive as I am. Hopefully she'll think it's fabulous and not itchy!

Update 2/11/07: Added the crochet edge and the cute pearl button. It'll be off to Chicago tomorrow!

WTF is taking me....
So, this is what I've got so far. I thought that I would be finished by last week but life/procrastination keeps getting in my damn way! Ahhhh.... One more sleeve to knit then I get to sew it together and learn how to add a crochet edge to the neck opening. I have no idea how to add crochet to my knitting but I guess I'm going to have to learn. I don't really have to have this project done for another month-- the recipient's birthday isn't until March, but I have other projects in the wings and a WIP that I should have finished ages ago. Hopefully I'll get a lot done on Saturday when I'll have the entire day to myself. I can't wait to finally say, "I've completed my first sweater!" Even though it's not for me I'm going to totally HAVE to try it on....she'll understand! I don't generally wear/use the gifts that I make people before I give them away but in this instance I think that I'm required to-- since it's my first sweater and all!