My 70's Ugly Duckling Grows Up

I was born in the seventies, so maybe it was my subconscious rebelling 30 years later. I fretted and agonized over the yarn colors for this project. On screen, the colors were beautifully matched - earthy... browns, greens... the essence of nature. When the yarn arrived I didn't flinch too much at first. It was only when I started my 3 tier in the pattern (from the top down), using the 'pumpkin' color, that my doubts rose substantially. Pumpkin = orange. Yeah, duh - but people tend to be very vague and more romantic when naming colors, so I ignored the red flag when ordering it. I knew that it had a tinge of orange, but that was ok since "wheat" was going to be tan, or so I thought. Wheat also had a orange tinge, however. When do fields of wheat look orange, except maybe during an exceptional sunset? Arg.


I was a little embarassed during the first few knitted tiers, almost apologizing to questioning onlookers that I didn't know it was going to be so bright, so orange, so... SEVENTIES. Even my own mother proclaimed 'Ick'. Fine. Thankfully SissyPrincess assured me that I would come to love my ugly duckling - that maybe it would felt into a beautiful swan. I think it did just that - I already love it now that it's felted, the colors melded subtly, making it autumn-like. I love it. Whew.



Pattern is Market Squares from Bags: A Knitter's Dozen - using the entrelac technique. Yarn is Knit Picks Wool of the Andes in colors: maple syrup, pumpkin, wheat, fern and avocado ('avocado' color should have been another obvious clue, don't you think?). Before Felting (right)

Resistance is futile

(say it in Jean Luc Picard's accent)

I am now a Ravelry WHORE. I've joined groups, I've added favorites, and my yarn stash, and books, I've even taken really bad pictures because I'm too impatient to wait for better light.

Sissy princess will probably comment that it hasn't made me any more productive. I'm sure that has nothing at all to do with a turkish cast on! I just need to give it a rest and do the fingers in icord.

The janfebs

Every year January and February are a slog for me. Just put my head down and keep going, spring will be here eventually. It's a lot like my current project - the olive cardigan. Yes, it's still around. 4 months and counting. I'm a lot more motivated. The socks, oriel, the hat, the gloves I'm dying to knit.. I'm not even tempted. Really. I want to be done with this sweater. I'm thinking I'll finish the back tomorrow.

No, this isn't my project. But it's kinda pretty and it does break up all the icky text. Besides, I know how much someone loves this pattern.

I did have to take a break from the cardigan last week to knit an emergency replacement for Sean's slippers. He loved his first pair to death. Wore right through the soles - both layers. But that was only temporary.



I guess there was the quilt distraction too. I pieced together the quilt top I'd cut out 2 years ago. No.. this isn't a picture of it. This is a random flickr photo. Nice colors though. Anyway, apparantly I need to "practice" or some such thing before actually quilting. But I don't wannna (insert whiney voice) practice, I just want my quilt. I'm thinking about just tying it instead of quilting. We'll see.


Next? Back to the kite. Oh I didn't mention this before? I made a kite-inspired object for art class last semester. It was all set to be hung in the libary in a couple of weeks, but somehow got torn in storage. I picked it up on Saturday and it's awaiting repair & return to the library. If I can only quit knitting this cardigan I'd have time for that.

Here's the last picture I have of the kite - before I'd finished it. All along the cat was fascinated. Hmm... Do you suppose he snuck over to the library last week and damaged it so I'd have to bring it home?

Anyway, if I just keep plugging away I know this winter and this cardigan will be done. It's just hard to see past the next decrease or snowstorm sometimes, but that's when you just don't look up.

He's, like, so cool

Mr. Suave (Chris, Rob's brother) has a hat. I'm beginning to think that I knit solely to keep heads warm. Everyone's gotta have a hat. Or my subconscious knows that they're: fast, easy, and cheap to make. yeah, right on.



This hat was special. I've never made a brimmed hat or anything of note from plastic canvas, so that was nice. Plus, Chris really loves it. He's the kind of guy that genuinely appreciates and understands a homemade gift. That works for me, so he's worthy. And he's just so cool. =)

I mean, now doesn't he look like he's enjoying it?



Pattern is Reasonably Hip; yarn is (gasp) Vanna's Choice in taupe. I didn't like the snugness that the finished projects seemed to imply on ravelry, so I decided to add about 20 stitches. That helped but it made the top decrease area a little loose. It seems to fit Chris but he's going to let me know if it stretches.

Lord Kelvin Would Be Proud

After months of waiting (well, only two), I finally have my own fair isle hat. The pattern is my own creation, although the waves are directly from the Vogue Knitting Stitchionary, Vol. 3 (Color). The lining instructions are identical to Rob's ski hat, from Jared Flood's Red Light Special.


Yarn is Mirasol Yarn Cotanani (Wool/Cotton blend) that SissyP made me buy in Frisco. I've slowly learned that she knows best - so now I don't question as much.



In case you care (and you should), the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability (by Lord Kelvin) is an atmospheric science term that represents waves (unlike lenticular wave clouds, but I won't bore you with details about that).

Phat Hat

OK PP - you want posts? I hope to get most of this finished tonight (on the bus and before the wine kicks in). We are having PIE right? Ooo. I'll need celebratory pie for completing the hat, don't you think?

I took this picture with my phone. Guess who just got a new phone? Last night. It's Chocolate. Kept me from knitting. Had to put new BBoys ringtone on. And new wallpaper. Takes much better photos that my last POS phone.

I'm just about to start my decreases. I measured Rob's hat and I really like the way it lies nice and flat on the top of the head - so I may use the same decrease instructions. The regular swirl-like decrease might be a better choice - seeing as how I have swirly waves in the pattern. Yeah, better.

After trying it on so far I think it might actually look better on me than Rob's hat - which is a great relief for him.

I'm also painfully close to finishing the brimmed hat for Chris - bought the (eek) lovely plastic canvas last night. I just need to slip into knitted brim and sew to hat. Should be done this weekend.

SissyP - what about posting your quilt stuff? I mean, why not?

I know I'm busy but what are you?

OK, I have an excuse: I have been unbelievably busy at work, for, yes, months! I finally feel like I'm somewhat caught up so of course I have scheduled a vacation. Yay, Mexico!

Now the computer problems have come home to roost as well, although things are looking better than they did right at the end of the year it is still a challenge to do anything, so pics are going to be a little hard to come by. I can't find the cable from my phone or I'd post from that. Shesh. One thing or another, I swear.

Gary the wonder tinkerer currently has my laptop, which apparently does work, and the laptop's hard drive, which may or may not, and the monitor, which likely does not but if it does I probably will give it to him anyway for helping me out. That would leave me at home with Sissy Princess's computer with Kubuntu operating system and Gary's creaky old CRT monitor, which, of course, snaps off periodically. I'd really like to update my Ipod with new music, but since my external hard drive is malfunctioning I can't update from my music. I could put some new podcasts on, but at work they limit downloads from itunes. I can't really blame them on that though, it is a lot of bandwidth. Kubuntu doesn't support itunes so I can't do it from home either. I'd like to just use winamp to manage my ipod, but I can't seem to get the stuff currently on there deleted either. I'd be willing to wipe and reload the ipod, but that requires a download from itunes...

See what I mean? Now quit complaining about my lack of posting. At least I'm knitting! (I started fair isle mittens with Heather's white and my green Lambs Pride, but was working waay too large so had to frog. Got distracted by finishing - YES, finishing! the Noro tam and have started gloves in the yummy, but slightly scratchy handspun wool.)

Unless you can claim this many computer problems, I expect more posting from you guys!

A Touch of the Flu-Blue Scarf

My dear sweet Nana used to party pretty hard when she was a young and flirty 20/30-something. Even after she had her children she would love to go out and have a few drinks with her friends and listen to live jazz. As an impressionable teen, I remember watching her slurp down those favorite vodka martinis and bat her eyes at the barkeep: "And I like it dry, *very* dry" - which of course translates to a straight up vodka shot camouflaged by a prettier glass with an olive. Nana and I always agreed on booze, food and music.


Mom said that when she was a kid, on Saturdays or Sundays Nana would occasionally be stuck in bed with "a touch of the flu" following these wild nights with her friends. So it seems that today, I too have 'a touch of the flu' after last night's dinner and drinking incident. I, however, managed to get out of bed and photograph my latest finished project.

It's from Sheep in the City's My So Called Scarf pattern. I used one skein of Mountain Colors Mountain Goat yarn in Steel Blue. The yarn is pretty and soft but I noticed that it was breaking in a few places. Nana would have loved it. =)

Shesh, gimme a break

Man you guys are crabby! I been BUSY! and it seems like everything around is broken: the laptop, then the external hard drive, but I thought it was the computer, not the HD, so the computer had a whole overhaul in order to "fix" the issue with not being able to access the HD. (Note to self: maybe trouble shoot a little more extensively next time!). Now it appears my monitor is well and truly broken. For all I know the computer is toast too, but since I can't see anything I don't know that.

But I do have new pictures, thanks to everyone else for getting them and sending them to me via email, which isn't broken... yet...
Here is a picture of the oven mitt, potholder / trivet, and coasters I made for Ruth & John:














And here are Sonia & Kurt's slippers. Kurt was particularly enthusiastic.





And here are Mom & Dad's socks.
















I have no idea what yarn those are. I think I have the label somewhere, I'll post it when I find it.


Suzanne promised me she would get a picture of the hat I made her. I'd been sitting on the yarn for a while because I loved the colors so much, but never could think of anything great to make from it for me... because I look like crap in a close fitting "beanie style" hat and that's how much I had.

Girlz Who Knit (& Those Who Don't Post)

Jiminy. I was trying to give PunkinPi the first shot to post in 2008, but she's just too lazy^H^H^H slow. Oh, wait - here she is doing something... is that a knitting project? Couldn't be. Cuz she would have posted by now. Note the gorgeous felted bag - a project that could be put on ravelry (although I know that Martie did it, but PP could use another project or two on the site).



Since I'm nearing the completion of a scarf and I don't really have anything to show and tell, I'll share our fun knitting (and food and skiing) weekend up in Silverthorne. Here we are - and it looks like we're trying to decide who will post next. Note how no one will look anyone else in the eye.

Some of us snowshoed and xc skied - and had pedicures - and we ate lots of gooey goodness. I love this group, especially the cooks. We never go hungry or thirsty.



Here is a rainbow of pre-felted slipper clogs. Although none are Martie's. Tsk.