Ooooh, the sock love

I've definitely got happy feet!
I wore my gorgeous socks from Maggi today, and they kept my feet toasty in the cold weather!

Raving, just a little

I have to say that the yarn and customer service from Sweet Georgia's Sweet Shop is excellent. Check out what I got today:



Mmm... laceweight.

Half a scarf!

Well, we're half-way there... whadd'ya think?




I'm so kicking holiday ass this year!

Uh-oh . . .

I've discovered I don't know lace well enough to fudge it.

I've dropped a stitch, and I have no idea where it's gone!

Ack!

Fircone Alpaca Scarf

Well, I am a part of the Yahoo! Group EZasPi, and they are doing a Shetland Lace Workshop. It seems to be a fabulous way to learn the techniques and/or patterns of Shetland Lace.

So, I have bought myself some lovely baby blue laceweight alpaca, and I'm testing out one of the patterns, Fircone, on a scarf. We'll see what happens!

Oh yeah!

I forgot to show you what my brilliant Sockapal, Maggi sent me!


I am in love!

(Plus, I got a card today from my SP that made me giggle! It completely made my day!)

WOW!

I have a new best friend. His name is Split Splicing.



Can you tell where the join is?


It's the skinny bit, ('cause I had to wet it). Don't you love it?

Inspired, and torn...

I don't know what to do with myself! I declared today the day of relaxing, and so I've been reading Yarn Harlot's latest book, Yarn Harlot: The Secret Life of a Knitter. It is very lovely, and just what I needed to de-stress from these last couple of weeks!

Of course, I've also been reading the fabulously inspiring Knitter's Almanac by the knitting goddess, Elizabeth Zimmerman. It's so wonderful that I don't know what I want to knit first! And I love how she thinks about knitting . . . I think I need a whole bunch more of her books!

And with all the reading I've been feeling guilty for not doing much actual knitting. So I think tonight is going to be the Alpaca Scarf episode of Desperate Housewives. Excellent.

And of course, I'll post photos when it looks a little longer than it did last time!

Ooooh!

Look! I spun something!


And yes, it's supposed to look like that. Cough. Really.

Public Service Announcement

Due to the fact that people are idiots, you now have to be a real human being to leave a comment.

I've enabled word verifcation, and I'm really sorry if that's a pain for you guys - but seriously, I don't need to know about herbal penis remedies on my KNITTING blog.

That will be all.

Mondays are for mail

Hmmm... my mail was so good today, that I have to share it all with you:


What is all of that, you ask? Well . . .

First, my Sockapal-2-za socks!! I got sent these by Maggi from Maggistitches, and oooh they are lovely! Thank you so much Maggi - you are fabulous!!!

One foot: (by the way, have you ever seen a nicer heel?)


Two feet: (and isn't the colour divine?)


A close-up for your viewing pleasure: (mmm, lace cables... to die for!)


Two socks and le renard:


Two casual feet:


They are so comfy, I can't even believe it. It's ten bajillion degrees here, and I do not want to take them off!

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Then . . . I also got a couple of things I ordered!
Gorgeous hand-painted yarn from Nonokitty. I can't say enough good things about her or her yarns! So beautiful!

But really, it speaks for itself:


and because the cat had to join in the fun:

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And finally, the learn to spin kit I ordered from Mielke's Fiber Arts. Great customer service, and a beautiful kit for me to play with. I've been lusting after this for a while now, so I thought it was time to treat myself... oh no, not another hobby!

But look, it's so pretty!


Imagine my delight when the roving was such a gorgeous colour! I was expecting brown; this is way better!

So, I think I'll be busy for a while!

Guess who I met yesterday?

I was in New York, and got to see the sheep from Morehouse Farm. They were in a trailer next to our tour bus. And they were pretty cute. Apparently there was a knitting thing going on at the Festival O' Wondrous Stuff... I missed it though. (Darn, seeing an opera...)

So of course, you have to see what their fleeces turn into. There's a great photo here. And of course, I want to make a number of their shawls, including this one.

Bad blogger, I should have photo'd the sheep, but I was getting enough weird looks for getting excited about them!

A couple more cables

Susan's scarf is coming along very nicely - in fact, I discovered how nice it is to knit on the bus on the ride back from New York City last night.

Check out how I've done so far:

Variegated Modulated Shawl

I know it's "modular" not "modulated", but really... after our "mod dom" (modulatory dominant) talk in music theory class today, "variegated modulated" is much more fun.

But yeah. I think modular knitting might be the answer to my variegated shawl dilemma. Check out what I found:


It's from Iris Schreier's Book: Modular Knits

Oh dear, something more to buy!

What would happen if...

... I tried to make this in Kureyon? (It's one of Iris Schreier's fabulous modular patterns for artyarns - you can see them all here.


I'm temped to try and find out.

Susan's Scarf Starts

Ok, so I am modifying Lily Chin's Reversible Rib Cable Shawl to make a scarf for my friend for Christmas. It's out of Plymouth Brushed Alpaca... which is very close to what my SP5 got me, but is quite thicker and has some acrylic in it. It will be perfect for this scarf... and the Plymouth Baby Alpaca from my SP will be a treat for me to make something lovely with!

Here's the scarf progress so far:


I had a large gauge dilemma, and just edged the thing in garter stitch. It think it works well enough for my purposes. Here is a close-up of the ribbed cable so far:


I really like that the scarf will be reversible. One-sided scarves are not half as much fun!

SPORK!!!

I need a bag. I really do.

This is a bag.


There is a knitalong.

I think I am in love.

Can't fight it...

Catherineknits.com has Rosewood and Ebony Holz & Stein needles coming in.

Too tempting!

Another gorgeous shawl

Oh no. I love this one too!


It's the Forest Path Stole by Faina Letoutchaia from the Summer '03 Interweave Knits.

I found it from this lovely blog and so had to order the pattern. Oh darn.

Of course, I don't really have any appropriate yarn (for this one or the previous one). I think these patterns need a solid colour (or heathered, at most) yarn, and my only laceweight is variegated. I also want to fondle laceweight before I buy it, so I might wait until I get home and can get to a yarn store. Hmmm...

Been a little busy...

... you know, busy with school and all. Classes are going exceptionally well, but there's a lot of work to do.

I'm in-between projects right now... and I just got a back-issue of Interweave Knits in the mail with the shawl I want to make:

I'm debating whether I'm going to add the bobbles or not. My gut says no.

I've been on the quest for The Perfect Shawl for a while now. This might be it, but I'm still undecided. I've also ordered Traditional Lace Shawls, and it has a whole bunch of information on designing -- as does my gorgeous, new Elizabeth Zimmerman book from my SP!

Oh, and the alpaca I ordered for my friend's scarf is a little different than the one from my SP (and I like the SP one better). The one for my friend is the brushed alpaca, and it has acrylic in it. The SP one definitely wins! But I think I've decided on what I'll do with the scarf, after all sorts of swatching last night! The answer is . . . drumroll please . . . a modified version of:


I think it will be lovely. It's cabled, and reversible! And Lily Chin, you can't beat it!

I've been tagged...

... so you get this. Courtesy of The Rogue Knitter. Dun dun dun...

ten years ago: Oy. I was 13, and man... that was no fun. I had just started grade eight, which was my second year at that school. Everything was big and scary.

five years ago: I was 18, and just starting my undergrad at UofT. Everything was still big and scary. But I was awfully optimistic! I also started knitting seriously that year.

one year ago: I was freaked out to have my first September ever, in which I was NOT going to school. It was a very strange year. It got me planning and prepared for grad school, where I am now!

five snacks: 1) Chocolate 2) Cheez-its 3) Cheeeeeeese 4) Buttered toasted bagels 5) chocolate

five songs I know all the words to: I'm a singer. I always know all the words ;)

five things I would do with $100 million: 1) get married 2) buy a house 3) pay off my parents' debts 4) make sure all my friends were doing what they loved, not what they felt they had to do to pay the bills; pay for more school for them to do what they love 5) put the money away so I wouldn't have to worry, ever, about financial woes

five places to run away to: 1) South Africa 2) Italy [especially the Chianti region] 3) everywhere else in Europe 4) Hawaii - I've never been! 5) my BF's cottage

five things I would never wear: 1) anything exposing my belly... unless I lose a whole bunch o' weight [yeah, right] 2) those thong flip-flops with the things between your toes. Ow. 3) I often don't wear a raincoat, but that's because I never remember one 4) uncomfortable shoes, even if it means I'm short 5) something someone died wearing

five favorite tv shows: 1) Law and Order 2) Desperate Housewives 3) Grey's Anatomy 4) The 4400 5) ER

five biggest joys: 1) snuggles 2) picnics 3) singing 4) surprise phone calls 5) finding new music

favorite toys: 1) computer 2) Lionel and le Renard 3) minidisc 4) digital camera 5) cell phone

Well, there it is, more than you ever needed to know! Hope everyone had a great weekend, I did!

SP5 Hits State College!

Ooooooh, you will be so jealous if you read this post. . . I am a-warning you now!

TADA-- my first SP5 package came today. . . oh, how I love you America, and your Saturday mail delivery.

Check it out! I got the most LOVELY baby alpaca yarn. In fact, I just ordered the same thing online for my friend's Christmas scarf! Same colour and everything! I am so glad that I got this from my SP, because I wouldn't have been able to give it away, at all! Oooh yes, I am in LOVE!


I also got some very thoughtful home-things: a set of wind-chimes


and MAGNETS!!!


The magnets now live over my desk:


And, because I had to leave my cookbooks at home (boo-urns), I got a new one!

Come on, who needs meat when veggie food looks this good?

And of course, from the Queen of Knitting: (hence the magnet)


And because the official blog mascot was feeling left out:


THANK-YOU Secret Pal! You are wonderful!

Knittany Lions

Reflections on my first Stitch and Bitch
Oh, we met, we knit, we chatted... there were coffee and bagels. They kicked us out almost an hour after they closed. What more could you ask for?

Yep, it was fun. If you're hanging around State College, you really should come join us!

An announcement is in order...

Happy Birthday to my knitting friend, Vanessa.

Thank you for letting me bring you over to the dark side. It's a nice place to be! I wouldn't know about half the crazy online patterns without you. And really, how else am I supposed to keep entertained?

Celebrate in style!

The Bunny, he is done!

Phew, 2 projects finished in 2 days. It's great!

Here he is, in all his blue cuteness:


From the side, so you can see the details:


Bunny butt... I think it's time to get on the elliptical machine:


And my favourite - bunny with cat:


Project Details
Pattern: Heartstrings Knitted Bunny

Materials: stash blue baby yarn in squeeky acrylic & a small handful of stuffing

I've made these in an afternoon before, so they really don't take that much time... and they have officially become the new baby mascots in my family. You've got to admit they're pretty darned cute!

Done and Done!

Yes, the socks they are a-finished!
Check 'em out:


And on my feet, (they're a bit big...):


And here's a close-up of the stripes:


Yep! My Sockapal-2-za socks are officially done. Do you love them?

On to the ribbing!

Look, my socks have grown! (Weekends are good for that, aren't they?)



So I'm off to work on the ribbing . . . then a little bit of fixing up those holes in the heels and some washing and blocking. Woohoo!