Scout in the House

My girly Scout is on one of my favorite sites.  I’ve learned more from reading Whip Up than almost any other online source.  If you’ve been thinking about making your own yarn colorways, you won’t want to miss her tutorial or the warp board directions (I’ve sent the link to Neal.  I hope he’s in the basement getting busy with my warp board!).

Right after I posted yesterday I saw that the Spring Knitty is up.  I spent some time admiring everything, and now I’ll share my faves with you.  Only if you promise to tell me what yours are.  Ok.  Cross your heart?  Let’s go, then.  Knitty_pedi_socks

Even though I only get about one pedicure a season, I adore these pedicure socks. I may make them for holiday gifts, I like them that much. 

Knitty_shrug  The Convertible reminds me a lot of a pattern I got for free at my favorite TN LYS.  I made two feather and fan convertible shrugs for gifts last year, and I had a hard time giving them up. I do like the closures better on this pattern, though, so I will probably give it a try at some point.  Maybe for me.

You promised you’d tell me what you want to make out of Knitty…or at least what you like best.  I’m waiting.

Lotsa Color and 2 x 2 Rocks My World

Which do you want first: knitting or yarn p*rn.  Yeah, I thought so. 

Img_0783 Two skeins from Brooklyn Handspun yarns in Forest Floor (r) and the ever-popular Chocolate Covered Cherries(l).  Aren’t the colors great?  One is a gifty, but the other will join my ever-expanding sock yarn stash.

Img_0785 Some Mama-E goodness.  From left, PoMo (SO pretty, but hey, I might be a little biased), Mermaids (preppy spring goodness), and the skein I won in Mama’s contest, Lollygirl, named after the lovely founder of Project Spectrum.  I just checked, and there are six spaces left in the Mama-E Project Spectrum Club.  Did you get a load of May’s yarn?

I was a little sad yesterday as I was supposed to be taking a mini-vacation today, but had to cancel due to too much schoolwork.  Getting pretty yarn in the mail helped to cheer me up.  And I’ve worked hard all day and made good progress on said schoolwork.  So even though it stinks, I’m glad I stayed home.

Now for a little knitting content.  I hosted Crafty Friday earlier in the weekend.  Yeah, it was on Friday.  You get the picture.  And lucky for me, Laurie was there to help me get my two socks on two circulars going.  She’d helped me to cast on at SnB on Tuesday, but I was pretty tangled up until Img_0787_3 Friday. I can’t tell you how proud I am to be knitting 2×2!  These are my Sockapaloooza socks, for which I’ve changed yarn and patterns way more times than I ought to have.  I’m settled now on something I think will look nice and that I can finish in the next few weeks.  To sweeten the deal, I’m going to send the yarn I had thought of using to my Sockee.  She knits beautiful socks, and I’m excited to see what she makes from the Chlorphyll yarn I bought from Celia.

In other Crafty Friday news, Chad came and worked on his quilt (when he wasn’t playing Napoleon Dynamite), Dana worked on her cross stitch baby blanket, Jennifer (who learned to knit at the first Crafty Friday) is cooking on her scarf.  Her stitches are perfect!  Liz is making the gauntlets from Alterknits–beautiful in a pale pink Manos, and her charming husband Trevor taught himself stranded knitting (I think I have the right name for it) and had lots of thoughts about felting and how to play with colors.  Lauren finished up handmitts (which fit me PERFECTLY, but I gave them back), Cari cooked on her cotton Hourglass Sweater from LMKG.  Carmela worked on a new scarf on HUGE needles, and I’m not sure what Jeannie worked on…she seemed to spend a lot of time helping the rest of us out!  Noelle, ever the generous sweetie, had a wonderful orange roving that she spun, and that she let everyone who wanted to do so, spin.  Then, as she left, she handed me the bobbin and gifted the yarn to me.  I forgot to take a picture, but it goes well with the yarn that I purchased for the Loop-d-loop paisley bag. 

Yesterday I returned a boatload a cone of pink mohair to Village Wools.  I bought it with a project in mind, but that project wants a different (black) yarn. Yes, I want to make that wrap, and as Cari noted, I will get kicked out of the East Coast if I wear anything other than black. While there, I saw Scout and her dyeing board.  Go look at her blog to see the cool stuff she’s doing.  She’s not selling it, so don’t get your hopes up (but try to change her mind, ok?).  I was tickled when she introduced me as "PoMo" to one of her friends.  Don’t you just love having another identity, bloggers?

Time to get back to the grindstone, the grindstone that has prevented me from being in a tub with friends, under the stars, content with a mini vacation.  I’m not bitter, I promise!

No Foolin’ –New MagKnits is Up

Happy April Fool’s day!  I don’t have any plans for tricks, although that may change as the day progresses.  Project Spectrum shifts into Orange and Yellow mode today–just in time for forsythia and daffodils, both of which I’ll post soon.  I have some wonderful NolNoodle handspun that I want to knit up this month, after I finish my Sockapaloooza socks, of course!  Today’s also the first day of Use What I Have month.  I’ve fallen in love with Simple Sparrow’s blog and her work.  She’s inspiring me to think more and more about pretty things and sewing.  I will confess in advance, though, that I did not have a chance to pick up a few things needed for this month’s craft plans.  So I will start to use what I have as of tonight.  I’m excited by the challenge of it, and hey, tag, you’re it.  Take a look in your craft closet (or drawer, or bin, or what have you) and look at what’s there.  Then make something.  A fun, creative endeavor.

The new MagKnits is up, and I want to share pictures of the patterns that appeal to me the most.  The top of the list for me is Zombies Need Not ApplyMagknits_406_wrist_warmers I’m a fan of wrist warmers even if Neal tries to tell me that they don’t really make me warmer.  My red wrist warmer works.  Say that three times fast.  The best thing about these wrist warmers is that there is a girly feature.  See if you can find it!

Magknits_406_hand_warmers I also love fingerless mitts.  I like making them, I like wearing them, and I imagine these might look swank in some of the sock yarn I’ve managed to acquire recently.  Hey, I’m moving to the Northeast.  I’m going to need layers!

Now, my dogs are not big tough guys like the one shown here.  I think this collar/leash is Magknits_406_leash pretty clever, but if I’m going to knit for Tilly and Maddie (or any of their friends, like Abby, Charlie-girl, Charlie-boy, Bonnie, Daisy, Louie, or Romeo), I’m going to make Noelle’s sweet collar for them.  Don’t you just love dog hugs, though?  I can’t wait to see my mutts again…but now I’m wandering away from Magknits, aren’t I?

Magknits_406_hat I’ve got a soft spot for black cabled items.  I’m gearing up for bright spring and summer knitting, but this is super cute. I bet Cari likes it for post snowboarding.  Am I right, Cari?  And, I suspect that Nezumi could be easily translated into a cute matching cabled purse.  Now how’s that for my punk/50’s glam girlie?

Thanks, by the way, to everyone who posted pictures of their favorite art.  I learned about artists I’d never heard of before, and I also got to see some special art made by kids, fathers, mothers.  If you haven’t posted, don’t get hung up on it being your ONLY favorite work.  Just whatever strikes you right now.  Let me know, too.  I’ve enjoyed seeing the posts.

I’ll say it again.  Happy April!

Chicago’s My Kind of Town

First, thanks to my blogging lovies for kind, smart thoughts about my last post.  Aquairians tend to have this dark brooding side under our gay exterior, and I’m no exception.  We are forward thinkers, though.  All the books say so. 

PalmerMy whirlwind trip to Chicago was a delight.  I stayed at the Palmer House Hilton.  Now, before you think I’m all fancy, I shared a room with four other English grad women.  What a thrill to walk into the lobby of the Palmer–just click on this picture to get a sense of the over-the-top ornateness.  Which I respond to.

D’s friend Aaron took us out to Italian Village, which was the best Italian I’ve had since my trip to Rome in November.  My paper went just fine; someone actually talked to me about it at the end of the panel.  I heard some good papers as well, but then took off to see some of the sights.  Including the beautiful lake.  Did I ever mention that I miss water?

So here’s what I learned about myself this weekend:  I’m a city girl. 

I never really knew for sure.  I grew up in the suburbs of the Springfield/Hartford area, then lived in Westchester County.  I’m going to be moving to a more rural area than I’ve ever lived in, although my friends from Colorado/Nebraska would scoff at what I’m calling rural.  But here’s the deal.  I stepped off of the subway, looked around, and felt happy, felt comfortable, felt at home.  There was humanity teeming around me, buildings soaring above me, thought and culture and action all around.  And I only realized how much being in a city made me happy when Carson said that he looked up and thought "where’s the sky."  I looked up and thought "I’m home."  I love knowing that about Carson.  I love knowing it about myself.  So where do you feel most comfortable.

All this is not to say that I don’t love nature or that I don’t enjoy being in the woods with the pups or that I don’t love swimming in the Hudson.  It is to say that I know one more thing about myself for sure.

Now, for the knitting part of our program.  The Jaywalker remains unfinished, but I have started the toe decreases.  And lookie, lookie at what Mama-E has gone and done.  It’s PoMo yarn, dyed to match the blog. PomoIsn’t it swank?  Check out her other colors, too.  Mermaids is one of my faves.

If you haven’t already seen Scout’s sample of Allison’s new pattern, go look.  I bought the pattern as soon as I heard about it, and I can’t wait to be done with some of my "required" knitting (ok, I don’t mean that as a bad thing, just stuff with deadlines) so I can make one of my own.

I spent some time today working on two top-secret projects.  I’ll post pictures once their recipients have gotten them.  I’m off for a hot bath (thanks for the bath cubes, Michelle), a no-pudge brownie, and some Sex in the City.

So Much to Tell!

Let me start with my final SP7 package and reveal.  Michelle from Soap Fibar Gal in Cape Cod is the Queen of Spoiling PoMo Golightly!  Get a load of these goodies.

Img_0778 See the skein of handspun all tied up with the lovely ribbon?  And that tempting felted je ne sais quoi peeking out from the wrapping?  Wouldn’t you have ripped it open, even if you’d just spent hours on an airplane, and it was 12:30 a.m.?  Of course you would.

Img_0780 Look!  A Lucy Bag in a fabu tomato color.  I may get nutty and line this baby with lots of pockets to hold knitting stuff.  Because, as you must surely agree, this bag longs to be my knitting bag.  I hear her crying from the kitchen chair where she’s perched right now:  "Put your Jaywalker in me.  C’mon baby, I NEED a project!" 

Img_0781 But lest you worry that poor Lucy has never had the chance to hold anything in her tomato-y embrace, take a look at all these goodies!  In her sweet note, my fabu SP wrote that there were things to help with my gauge issues (ah, she’s an avid reader!), something to keep my feet warm (yes, they’re still cold!), something to hold my knitting (Lucy, my love!), and something to help me survive the dryness in NM, along with other goodies.  Um, SP, how did you manage to knit all those socks on your blog while putting together this package?  Do you ever sleep, dear SP?

Img_0782 What was Lucy holding?  A knitting journal, 0000 dpns (ok, are you trying to be funny!?!), a nifty gauge ruler, my favorite Yankee Candle scent, Clean Cotton, handlotion, soaps by the soap gal herself (or so I’m assuming!), two skeins of Knitpicks Landscapes in Mesa, a variety of bubble bath goodies, a candle, and fabrics in Project Spectrum pink.  Isn’t she the best?  Thanks for all of the wonderful treats, Michelle.  You really made this so much fun for me! xx

While waiting in the Minn/St. Paul airport yesterday, I saw TWO knitting pals from NM:  Jenny, on her way back home from London, and Kim, on her way back from a shower in CT. We were all on the same flight, all had knitting with us.  Jenny mentioned some new stash that I can’t wait to see posted on her blog.  Go check it out.

I had a bad airport moment, though, when a young man told me that UCONN had lost yesterday.  They weren’t up by much as Neal drove me to the airport, and so, yes, I’m sad to say, I lost faith in my boys.  Luckily, when I called Neal to let him know I was home, he set me straight.  The crisis passed.

While visiting Neal I had digital cable Internet hooked up at his house.  I can’t deal with dial up while there any more, and now, dears, I don’t have to.  We even went to the computer salvage place in town and got him a new second-hand computer.  He’s pretty pleased with it in his Neal-ish way. 

Notice how I’m tracking back?  Because even though the new system was set up on Saturday, I haven’t had a chance to update here.  So it’s ten days, all at once. 

I had a great time in TN with MB.  I "forced" a shopping spree on her:  makeover, new shoes, new purse, new clothes.  I think I may look for a job as a personal shopper.  It’s fun to get other people to spend their money!  Especially when they buy you a bag to match their new one.  Aren’t I a spoiled little sister?  We booked our beach house for this summer (we’ll be in Old Saybrook, CT this year, a change from our usual OBI trip), got my taxes mostly done (note to self:  Income Earned statement is a critical component to tax processing), and perhaps almost as fun as hanging out with my cool niece and nephew was my visit to my favorite TN LYS, Threaded Bliss Yarns

I adore TBY.  I adore Sheila.  I adore Rudy.  Sheila and I were wishing we could trade lives…I’m envious of her beautiful yarn store.  There is a WALL of Cascade 220.  I bought pinks and green for my Noni purse (scroll down on the Threaded Bliss Yarns post to the Baguette.  That’s the one I’m making).  I was debating colors, normally not big on making the color shown, but those pinks and green together are perfect.  Perfect and pretty.  I can’t wait to finish up some socks and get that baby knit.  I also got a preview of Mason Dixon Knitting.  Yes, the artwork is Hatch.  Yes, it’s a big book.  Yes, you want a copy, and so do I.  Thanks, Sheila, for a fun morning!

Finally, or rather, to start this big adventure, there was AWP in Austin.  I love Austin.  It’s plain and simple.  Dinner at Guero’s one night–delish!  Here’s my new life goal:  I will be a writer who lives in a hotel permanently.  And that hotel will be the divine Driskill.  You may visit me there.  Friday night Valerie, Bernard, and I had drinks in the bar.  A pint of Guinness poured by an older Irish gentleman for me.  Yes.  Then after dinner elsewhere, Valerie and I persuaded our companions to return, to just take a look at this treasure.  So we sat at the piano bar, listened to sweet music, and drank a little Texan drink.  We ended the night back at our hotel, danced a dance or two to the rocking (!) band, then Valerie and I enjoyed the piano playing of Mark Sundeen, author, dancer, pianist, singer. By the way, pick up a copy of The Making of Toro.  You will laugh.  You will thank me.

I’m back on East Coast time, so it’s very late for me.  I’m going to toddle off to bed now. 

I’m Off

I’ll be on a plane heading to Austin in a matter of hours, so I’m going to keep this short.  I’m taking a boatload of school work on my spring break with me, but I’m hoping to get ahead on a few projects.  On the knitting front, after dropping five stitches at SnB Tuesday night, I tried on the Jaywalker.  Yes, the first one.  Yes, I"m still knitting it.  I couldn’t get it over my heel, but everyone assured me it would stretch.  If not, my UNM girly, R., has tiny feet.  She may be getting a cute pair of handknit socks.  I think my SnB friends were trying to keep me from having a Jaywalker meltdown.  But I’ll be ok.  Really.

I’m taking them with me on the trip, and because I’m such an optimist, I’m also bringing the Retro Rib sock pattern from IK Winter 2004, yarn and two US 2 circs.  That’s my Sockapaloooza project.  I’d best get started!  I’m also bringing the pattern for a cute felted bag.  See, I think I have a month off rather than ten days.  But let’s just see what I can accomplish.

I’ll try to post while I’m away.  If not, I’ll be back soon!

Project Spectrum–Pink!

Img_0773 My first Project Spectrum items:  Umbilical Cord baby hat and an Itty Bitty Bear from Summer ’05 IK.  Both knit on US 7s in Sundae Swirl from Plymouth Yarns.  The bear took no time at all; I may have to start a collection of them!  These will both join the poodle onesie I embroidered in February using a Sublime Stitching pattern.

Be sure to check out Carole’s Project Spectrum buttons–I posted my favorite on the sidebar.  My other P.S. March projects include the postcard swap (thanks, Kathy!  Loved yours!), an apron for Scout, and my skirt for Sew?I knit

Major Knitter has a March Madness contest going.  Go check it out, sock knitters, and then send some scraps and stash along to help her out.  I’ve got a few skeins of Knitpicks yarn that I bought thinking I’d like to make gauntlets.  I made one and have not finished the second, so I’m sending all those single skeins on over.  I had thought to buy second skeins to make socks, but decided this is a better cause.

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