Sweater Fever

I decided to have a weekend for myself and Memorial Day Weekend seemed like the perfect opportunity! Saturday was spent manning Cashmere Cottage Yarn. How can I say no to a chance to work for yarn?! I thought I would get a bunch done in the sweater department, but after working on it non-stop on the bus for the last few weeks I was a little burned out. I did manage to teach myself to use the niddy noddy! I've made it to the 2nd half of the hood - the home stretch! Once the hood is done it's time for blocking and assembling! YAY.

Clearly I'm sick of the sweater as I decided to stash some more sock yarn using my store credit. I'm thinking that Socketta will be really nice as it's 45% cotton, so I'm assuming it will be a little cooler than the nearly 100% wool guys I've done before. Can you find it in the stash? I didn't realize what it was like until I tried to put it in the drawer! Time to get busy on the stashed yarn, I guess!

Rounding out my personal weekend were going to the races in Ephrata last night and then watching my friend kayak near Dryden.



This morning, though, I sat on the couch and watched 4 hours of America's Next Top Model while knitting on the hood! After hardly knitting at all yesterday while working in a yarn store (what could be more inspiring?? Or maybe it's just really distracting) I kicked it into high gear this morning and was able to get from the middle of one side over to the end of the decreases on the other. It's knit as one piece starting at the left shoulder and working over the top to the right shoulder. I may be tired of knitting on the sweater, but I still love it! I think I'm just done looking at brown yarn. Can't wait for some little variegated socks!

CraftyCougDates

Ok, I've been knitting on the bus, yes. But I've also been going out on dates! Here is what I saw on such an occasion yesterday:

Wedge Mountain and Leavenworth, WA.
It's difficult to see, but the branch on the near left pine tree just above the trees in town is pointing at Sleeping Lady Mountain Retreat (where I work) AND the Fisheries Resource Office (where Drew works).

And some flowers we picked along the way!
What is more adorable on a mountain date than a bouquet of flowers in your water bottle? Ranks right up there with wet grass and pine trees!

Lest you think I've gone all starry eyed, behold sheep!

The lambs aren't sure what to do with the collie, but Tess is very sweet and trains them with almost no nipping

Then we watched Sue spin for a few minutes. I'm still learning by osmosis at the moment, but maybe someday I'll learn to spin, too!

This is the yarn shop we went to in Ellensburg. I guess I should tell you what I was up to - on Monday I went with almost 50 other knitters around North Central Washington checkin' out fibers! We started at Cashmere Cottage Yarn, ate breakfast at the Anjou Bakery, then off to Fiber Trends, on to Ellensburg for the sheep farm, Dancing Ewe Yarns & Teas, & Dakota Cafe for lunch, and we finished our tour at Icicle Ridge Winery.

Here look at Ellensburg!

One Smart Cookie

Well, 3 smart cookies, really. Behold the graduates!



I couldn't be more proud of them! Kate, Clark, and Mikaela.
Congratulations and now you get to start new lives!

As if a weekend of college graduation wasn't enough - see the grannies on swings!
Grandma Dorie

Grandma Gerri

I hope this is how I remember my grandmas! They can be so unpredictable :)

After all that I couldn't have asked for much more. But I got to go antiquing w/ G. Gerri Monday afternoon instead of working. Then this morning I found these:

There was no name as to who they are from, but I deduced that they are from the nice guy I met recently. Man is he winning points or what? So sweet!

In April I...

Got quite a bit done on my sweater.

Saw the world's smallest Rhododendron.

Tested all of my camping gear (well, not the tent) in the living room.

Had my very best friend over for the weekend.

And conquered a mountain.

Well, and met a really cute, nice boy, but he hasn't been around quite long enough to be snapping pictures and putting them on the internet. I like him! I don't want to scare him away! Although when it's done I'll post a picture of the soapstone pendant he carved for me. It's beautiful and such a surprise!!

For Xstitcher

I guess my grandma was telling my cousin, x-stitcher, about my projects from when I was in CA. I don't know that I properly posted them before...
Anyway, Rachel, here are some things I've done, but haven't posted!
Hedgie

Socks that I finished... uh... in June :)

And their fancy stitch pattern

Socks I finished while I was at Grandma's house

Nice lace stitches & eye-of-partridge heel

I think there are others, but this is what I've got pictures of at the moment. More of the sweater will come soon, too!

It doesn't get any better

That's right, the best smell in the world is:
wet grass & pine trees
Mornings at work make me want to quit for the summer and work at camp again. It makes me so happy I could almost cry!

Being a left handed knitter is a challenge when making a cardigan. For me the left front is actually the right and vice versa. I'd really like for it to button properly, but the directions just say to space the buttonholes evenly. It recommends that you mark on the left front where you'll put the buttons then make buttonholes at those marks on the right front. Well, if I'm actually knitting the right front then I need to use my math brain to calculate where the buttonholes belong.
Do you know when I realized this?
After I'd already had 2 glasses of wine.
Fortunately 2 glasses of wine is not enough for me to make rash decisions. So I did the only thing that makes any sense when you can't knit because you've had too much wine, but you've still got enough sense left to realize that attempting to knit is a bad idea.
I had a third glass of wine.

Bunnies!

Is it spring yet?

I went to town on the sweater, but it still won't be done in time for the show.
So I've started this
It's a cable tube that will get closed up at the bottom, a lining and handles. It's based on the Chinese Charm Bag from S'n'B, but I'm using the cable pattern from the sweater. I am really liking it and I think I'll put it up for sale and see if anybody else likes it :)

I skied last weekend at Mt. Baker w/ Caitlin. I demoed Salomon Guns. They were fun times and completely changed my outlook on twin tips! I'm 90% sure I'll be buying some this summer. Just have to get something a little more girly than dark blue and gray w/ skulls and ravens... and hey! when I've got that option, I need to take advantage!

Then we went to the North Fork Beer Shrine on the way home

and found this!
I present the long lost Blues Sister, Caitlin.

Take 2

I realized after I got through 1 repeat of the cables on the back that I had a small math error in calculating gauge. I knew it looked too tight, but it took me about 24 hours to rationalize what happened.

Ah, now we are onto take 2 and it's not going faster, but it's looking much better! I love how it's working up, but I don't think it's going to be done in time for the show :( So for the show I'm thinking of whipping up the fat bottom bag from S'n'B Happy Hooker.

This is what has happened to my coffee table (... trunk). I suspect it will only get worse since Ross still had a couple of sweaters when I was there over the weekend and I will probably buy at least one more. You know, just in case.

Cabled Cardigan

I got it all figured out! The brown yarn from yesterday will become the Cabled Cardigan* from Spring 2007 Knit.1. Generally I didn't love the patterns in that issue and I bought it for the skirt pattern that after reading didn't like anyway. (You knit a tube and then sew ruffles onto it. I wanted to knit the ruffles, but didn't really feel like figuring all of that out) However, it's got a really cute cable, hooded cardi in it! And I've been looking for a good aran style sweater for a long time. And what better way to do it? 2 weeks anyone? Think I can do it? It will be a stretch for sure. The yarn isn't even dry yet. Yikes! I've got it in front of the heater, though, so hopefully I'll be able to get started tonight.
Oh, I looked at the MRSP on the original tag and it didn't say $58.00, it says $188.00!!!!!! I just tore up a nearly TWO HUNDRED DOLLAR sweater!! And it was brand new! The $58.00 tag was the "compare at" price on the Ross tag. I almost feel badly... but really what it means is I got a friggin' screamin' deal! Now I just need to re-knit it into a beautiful sweater.

*Sorry the link is from Ravelry... if you're not on there, I don't think you can see it. It was the only picture of the particular pattern I could find.

Recycled Art Show

In case you don't know, in April at Sleeping Lady we put on the Recycled Art Show. Last year I made capris and a ruffly blouse from bed sheets. That was fun, but I couldn't do it again (although I've still got enough left of those sheets!) and I couldn't find a round table cloth w/ boarder design to make a circle skirt with. I figured I could get an old sweater at the GW to unravel, but spring isn't the time to raid it for heavy sweaters. Darn. Then I found myself at Ross... ok, I'm at Ross all the time looking for bargains on things I probably don't need. And when I was at Ross this time I saw this horrific sweater, BUT it's made of 60% wool, 22% silk, 11% alpaca, and 7% cashmere. How could I not buy that??? Especially at the low low price of $6.99!

Score! It feels delicious and is a good color - brown tweed w/ specks of all different colors.
I'd really like to knit it into a sweater, but I'm not sure I've got time for a whole sweater - only about 2 weeks. Hm.
Anyway I didn't take a picture of it before tearing it apart. I looked around online for one, but it must have been a really unpopular style cause I can't find any. It's designer too (oops?!) - Buffalo by David Bitton and retailed for $58 anywhere other than Ross...

As soon as it's dry I'll start knitting and see what kind of gauge I get. I'm assuming it's around worsted or heavy worsted weight... I haven't quite mastered what that means in the gauge world, but I'm thinking I'll try #9 needles. Though I've probably got a little while to figure it out since I don't expect it to dry immediately.

Catch Up in a Big Way

I had a lot of fun in CA visiting family and going to Stitches. I managed to navigate San Jose's light rail system. As long as you're in the area where it operates it is fantastic, but I heard rumors that it's not all that great if you're away from the lines. Once I figured that out I rode BART, SF buses, and in a taxi. Got all the public transportation I could for one trip.
I visited my cousin in SF and we experienced as much of it as we could in the little time that I was there. This link should take you to Flickr and you can see CA pictures there.
I promised pictures of Stitches purchases, so here they are!
back left - Creative sock yarn "Luxury"
back right - Blue Moon sock yarn "Silkie" (Fairgrounds colorway)
front - Valley Yarns worsted "Colrain" from Webbs and got it for Snow White, but might make Yosemite instead since I'm pretty sure I can't live without it! Would Yosemite work in bright blue? It might have to...

And here is a completed Stitches kit. Purchased at Bella Knitting's booth. I almost died when I saw it - knew exactly where it was going and needed it IMMEDIATELY! Case in point why it's already done.

The argyle booties are done, too. And they are adorable! Thanks to mom for the pattern, even though I don't really like how it all goes together. I would make more booties, but I'd rather not have to crochet the bottom on.

Oh, and here is something that Grandma found while wandering the market... I must have been drooling over something because I didn't even noticed the free mini skeins of Malabrigo! I have no idea where she found them! Crazy, too, because I drool over Malabrigo possibly more than Blue Moon.

I also finally completed the quilt for Kikkan (pronounced Keekan), my fomer boss's new baby. It turned out great and she loved it! Well, actually she was screaming, but mom loved it!

I think this brings us up to date on my knitting life. Still nothing on the new place because it's too messy for pictures (STILL). I'm getting sick of it, but clearly not sick enough to do anything about it. Although I've started losing things due to constantly picking things up and setting them down someplace else (no not where they belong)... maybe that will motivate me to finish organizing soon. Incidentally, does anyone know where I could find an adjustable height coffee table - i.e. one that I could turn into a dining table? There is an antique style called Castro tables, but I've never actually seen one. My internet searching has turned up several articles on such a creature, but no insight as to where I could actually buy one.

Arrrrrrrgyle

TheGood::TheBad::TheUgly
Argyle is so pretty!

There will be crazy ends to weave in

Knitting it on the bus is NOT a good idea!

It's like pirates take over my knitting on the bus! And have I untangled it? Ha! That will take wine and I have no wine. Ice cream will have to suffice... call if I don't make it to work tomorrow.

I'm coming back, I swear!

Pictures of Stitches purchases and the sweet new apartment will be here someday... I hope sooner than later. Please hold for a time when Diana's back to normal. Thank you!

Mr Rogers

I found this on Suzanne's blog.

I loved Mr. Rogers! Wear your sweater.

Later I will discuss my purchases at Stitches. Don't get too excited. I didn't really buy much. I did love it though!

2 to Go?

What happened to my Milky Way? All I wanted was a king size candy bar and I ended up with 2 little ones! Apparently Mars thinks they're being clever with their new... creation, but Name Wire's got it right when they acknowledge it actually makes the thing harder to eat!
Yup. I'm ranting about candy. I wish it hadn't changed; it tasted good nonetheless! And I doubt new packaging will stop me from eating them.

More startitis

I had startitis again this weekend. I took Friday morning off and thought I'd use that time to at least work on some existing project... HA! Not a chance. I started baby booties for a good friend's soon-to-be new addition, Eva Lorraine. Yes, Eva is a girl and I made her green booties! I know Mom likes green and I'm sure Dad will appreciate not having an entirely pink and purple wardrobe. Nevermind that I didn't have any pink yarn anyway! Now I know I can do argyle and it's so fun!
Yarn: Knit Picks Shine Sport
Colors: Aquamarine, Grass, Butter
Needles: Susan Bates Silverado US #3
Pattern: my mom cut it out of what appears to be Good Housekeeping from the 70's or 80s

Friday afternoon I taught a class in knitting my version of the Unoriginal Hat! I thought for sure it would be easy and these ladies would be off and running on the cables after an hour and they wouldn't need to come back... Was I ever wrong? I started with the circular cast on (see last Lighter Circular Beginning) and thought they'd pick it up like I did... they didn't, it was pretty challenging, took at least 30 minutes and required a break in the middle. Then we got going a little and since 2 of them hadn't worked on dpns before (only worked in the round using the whole length of 1 circ) they couldn't believe that the strange looking mess they had in front of them would ever turn out like the sample in the window. After 2 hours of tedious slow knitting, comforting, and reassuring that mine started out just as messy looking they all left smiling. Good thing I scheduled 2-two hour sessions! All in all I had fun teaching and I think they enjoyed learning new things, albeit more new things than they expected to. The biggest challenge for me as a teacher is being left handed. It's really difficult to show someone how to do something when the way you do it is completely backwards. Hopefully I will be able to teach this class again in the fall (I'd do it sooner, but who wants a wool hat in June anyway?). And I also might get to teach an argyle sock class. After smoking through that baby bootee in a matter of hours, I think I can handle a class on it! (We'll ignore for now that it has 40,000 ends to weave in... and that it needs to be a matched pair)

Moving on

I'm moving into a new apartment! It's adorable and old. Here's a picture of the bathroom, yup it's that tiny! I'm really excited!!!
Knitting? Yes, see.
Finished one of the Brambly Hedge socks. But now I've got yarn for 2 more pairs of socks.



I also made 2 more hats for my ski TAs. They've been really helpful this season and I want to tell them I think they're awesome!