Falling for Autumn

Wow, how did two months go by without a post? There are no excuses - I just didn't feel like blogging. But, I have done quite a bit of knitting. Finishing up an idea I had for a baby jacket - pictures forthcoming. If it turns out like it does in my head it will be SO cute! I'm also attempting a shawl pattern that isn't liking me much. Its Gail (aka Nightsongs) by MaweLucky/Jane. So pretty and just one skein (or more) of Sea Silk; but it hates me, as most lace does. A knitting/spinning friend recommends using highlighter tape over the pattern in a plastic sleeve and I might try that. How many times must I knit and tink, knit and tink? GRRR!

Managed to finish a couple of summery sweaters - a cute halter top and Annie Modesitt's corset tee. I love the corset tee on - such a simple, yet ingenious pattern! Check out Ravelry for pics. There were other odds and ends, including a butterfly hat in Malabrigo (ah!) and a couple of pairs of socks - the River Rapids for a friend's birthday and finally, Embossed Leaves for me. Both in Koigu, which I've gotta say - I'm loving. So soft after washing, yet the stitch definition stays crisp.

Got no idea what to do next. Probably finish the baby jacket and then re-tackle the lace. Or not. I'm itching to knit a gorgeous fall cardi, but don't have the stash or the funds for it right now unless I want to make it in bright pink Karabella Aurora 8. Not that this is a bad thing, but bright pink just doesn't work for the everyday-wear-with-everything type sweater I'm dreaming of. Not to mention, its been hot as hell lately here in lovely, sunny SoCal. I mean, yeah, I know its California. Can we just have a break with the 80+ degree days already? I'm missing home now - apple picking, cool but sunny days, chilly nights requiring sweaters like above, colorful leaves, pumpkins, baking. Sigh. I suppose I could turn the air on high, throw on a sweater and bake something pumpkiny while munching on candy corn and pretending I can smell the fall air. Hey! Does anybody make an autumn leaf candle? The leaves have a certain smell....my brother used to call it "Eau de Dead Leaf" (jerk!) Anyhoo, it would be awesome to smell that smell again....Anyone?

Inspiration

After the dye experiment the other day, I felt something I hadn't felt in a while - inspired. Suddenly the world was full of possibilities again. The day seemed brighter, the flowers fresher, books more thought provoking. Ideas blossomed in profusion and so quickly that I scribbled notes about things I love, things I want to see and do. Wish I could bottle this feeling and open it up and take a swig whenever I'm feeling "blah". So happy to have my brain buzzing with new ideas! I've seen a few gorgeous knitting patterns (have you seen "Juno" by Amanda Crawford?) and upon reading some posts by fellow Raveler, knita, I discovered this website for the Victoria and Albert Museum. It is SO cool! I spent many hours pouring over the exhibition pages and designing things on the "To Do" pages. Check it out if you are interested in design, fashion, glass, metalworking, sculpture, jewelry, even knitting! In the knitting sections, you will find vintage patterns, even a free Rowan pattern, the history of knitting, a place where you can share your knits, etc. You can even send an e-card like this one of a Dale Chihuly work.

























Just one more reason to visit London someday! :)

Meme and stuff...

Well, I finished the Tangled Yoke Cardigan for my sister and its beautiful. Photos to come once its finishing blocking. All it needs now are buttons! Also finished my halter top, but the strap is wonky. Will probably tink back past the buttonholes, reknit with no buttonholes and then kitchner stitch the sucker together. That might work. Also, I decided to give up on the chevron socks. Just didn't like how they looked or felt on. Reconsidering perhaps using a feather and fan pattern instead, but while I think it over, I started the Combo Corset-T by Annie Modesitt. We had a bag of lovely soft pink Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran that we scooped up at a sale last year at Suzoo's and it would make the perfect compliment to a skirt I've had forever but never had a top to wear with. I plan to use some natural colored Optim that Jerry has spun as lace trim. Lastly, Mr. Twisted and I did another dye experiment and here is the result:

























I'm calling it Pansy as it reminds me of them :)

















And now, here's the meme. One word answers only please!

1. Where is your mobile phone - purse

2 .Your significant other - Jerry

3. Your hair - overgrown

4. Your mother - gone

5. Your father - Florida

6. Your favourite thing - ocean

7 . Your dream last night - weird

8. Favourite drink - margarita

9. Dream/goal - happiness

10. The room you're in - living

11. Your ex - manipulative

12. Your fear - failure

13. Where do you want to be in six years - happy

14. Where were you last night - home

15. What you're not - rich

16. Muffins - cranberry

17. One of your wish list items - kiln

18. Where you grew up - Salem

19. last thing you did - Blogged

20. What are you wearing - pjs

21. Your TV - Olympics

22. Your pets - yarn

23. Your computer - laptop

24. Your life - good

25. Your mood - creative

26. Missing someone - sisters

27. Your car - old

28. Something you're not wearing - socks

29. Favourite store – TJ Maxx

30. Your summer - quiet

31. Like (love) someone - Jerry

32. Favourite colour - purple

33. last time you laughed - today

34. last time you cried – Monday

35. Who will re post this - Denise

There we go, it's harder than you think, because you want to explain choices and you can't.

Try it yourself if you want!

August....already?

Hopefully everyone is having a good summer. As for me, the knitting injury (strained shoulder/arm thing) is feeling much better and only acts up a little when I overdo. And god knows, there has been precious little "overdo" in this house lately!

I seem to have more thoughts and ideas than actual knitting content lately. Maybe that's because its summer and its hot and I'm just over it. I dunno. What I do know is that I'm feeling pretty scattered. The Tangled Yoke Cardi for my sis' birthday (8/31!) still needs sleeve extensions and I haven't touched it in three weeks. Started, and have nearly finished, the Magic Halter and it's beautiful, but it needs elastic and buttons and of course, haven't done anything about that. Also started some basic chevron socks with two different colorways of Lorna's Laces and, even though they are nice, I don't feel my usual inner push to finish.

Add to this is the fact that I keep coming up with new projects and adding stuff to my queue and thinking that I'll never do it all and I must be crazy. Yesterday, while hanging up a skirt I've never worn cause there is nothing that goes with it, I thought "hey, that pink Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran is this color! I should make a top with that to match this!" You know what happened next, I rushed to my Ravelry queue to find the perfect top to make with the amount of yarn I have and WHOOSH, new project when 3 are in the unfinished stage.

Anybody who knows me knows this is a bad sign. If I don't finish things before getting involved in something else, chances are good they will never be done! Broke my cardinal rule of finishing one thing before starting another and POOF - I've already lost interest in my three UFO's. Instead of working on said UFO's Sunday, I spent the day making a project bag for hubby's secret pal. Sometimes I forget how much fun sewing is. Then, of course, I started thinking about the skirt never finished and found the panels and started contemplating doing that. Cause you know, right now there just ain't enough unfinished stuff lying around.

I do have to give a shoutout to the one person in my life who is always there for me. He cooks great dinners, knits and spins, figures out how to add cool stuff to my blog (check out the blogroll and WIP progress bars - in PINK, no less!) and is just the greatest hubby a girl could ever have. I am truly lucky to have him in my life. Thank you Jerry for being you :)

Plodding Along and Knitted Related Injuries

Well, I'm still working on the Magic Halter by Mandy Moore. I know, a halter - sounds a little "chicka-bow-wow!", but all the bits that need to be covered will be in this pattern. Its just taking SO long! Little needles, thin yarn - it has the most wonderful hand and drape, but it sure takes a lot of knitting to get anywhere. Here's the obligatory in progress shot

Ravelry: stalepeeps' Magic Halter

And the injury. Um, well, I was trying on the Magic Halter and instead of putting the stitches on a longer cable or yarn so I could easily try it on, I used the cable it was already on. I don't know what I was thinking cause the cable is many inches smaller than my, uh, bodacious rack, and as I saw that the stitches were about to slip off the needle in the back, I did some weird arm gymnastics and reached around and up and back and something in my neck/shoulder area went "aaaaaachhhhhhhhht". Of course, this did not stop me though. I got the thing off with a little help from the hubby and went right back to knitting, not thinking much about it. A half hour or so later, I thought - "hmm, my neck is killing me" and then "wow, my shoulder hurts too". I can't believe it took me so long to realize that I must have pulled a little something. So, now I've taken some blue-eez and brown-eez (in my house this means naproxen and ibruprofen) and even put a heating pad on it. And it still does not feel real good. In fact it hurts. Quite alot even. I'm sure it will feel better tomorrow, but it might be best if I put away the knitting for the night.
Wah!

Long Time, No Blog

Where have I been, you ask? Um, trying to stay cool and getting some knitting done. Last night, while watching season 1 of Project Runway , (yeah, I know - we missed it the first time around) - finally finished my Esther socks. Love the pattern, its so easy and SO pretty! Its a great pattern by Stephanie van der Linden. If you're interested, you will need to join the yahoo group to access the pattern - The yahoo group is German; however, the pattern is available in both English and German. Join the waiting list of the Socken-Kreativ-Liste Modifications made were to start the socks on waste yarn and do a bind off picot edge instead of the traditional picot, which felt bulky to me and I wouldn't have had quite enough yarn had I followed the pattern exactly. I did a standard S1 K1 heel and wedge toe also. Pretty, n'est-ce pas?

I've also been making great progress with the Tangled Yoke Cardigan. It would actually be done, in fact, if my sister had short arms. After asking a friend to try it on for me, I realized the sleeves would have to be lengthened. Ah, such is life! Now just trying to figure out the best way of doing this. I tried picking out the cast on row and going forward from there, but the rib doesn't quite match up going in the opposite direction. Now I think I will cut it close to the point where the ribbing switches to stockinette, pick up the stitches and redo the entire cuff. Because the sleeves are attached to the body and then continued in the round for the yoke, you can't really tell how short or long the sleeves will be until you are almost finished. It sucks that I have to redo the cuffs, but I want it to be right, you know? While pondering this conundrum, I started the Magic Halter from my queue in some fine lightweight cashmerino that's been hanging around the stash for a couple of years. This is small yarn on small needles and likely to be a long term project in my size. What am I thinking???

Well, that's about it for now. Hope everyone is having a great summer!

Summer Knittin'

Well, ain't nothing going on but alot of tweedy brown Tangled Yoke Cardigan. I'm on the yoke part and finally about to start following the charts. Woohoo!

It makes for a pretty boring pictures at this stage, and I need to post about something and so here is a little ditty I've been composing in my head for the past few weeks to the tune of Summer Lovin' from Grease.

Summer Knittin’ had me a blast
Summer Knittin' happened so fast
I knit a shawl called Clapotis,
I knit socks – they were Monkeys
Summer days driftin' away, to uh-oh those Sum-um-mer Knits
Uh Well-a well-a well-a huh
Tell me more, tell me more
Cause the pattern is key
Tell me more, tell me more
Are you on Ravelry?
Uh-huh uh-huh uh-huh uh-huh

It got hotter, I made a tank
Oh so simple and only one hank
Lots of knit groups, I have sure found
Hemlock ring, goes round and round
Summer sun, something's begun, but uh-oh those Summer Knits
Uh well-a well-a well-a huh

Tell me more, tell me more
Is that pattern alright?
Tell me more, tell me more
Cause it seems it bit tight!
Uh -huh-uh-huh-uh-huh-uh-huh

We went knitting, down at the Mall
I was knitting the Mystery Shawl
Pomatamus, is that a sock?
Frogged again, oh what a shock
Summer fling, don't mean a thing, but uh-oh those Summer Knits

Uh well-a well-a well-a huh
Tell me more, tell me more
I can’t keep up the pace
Tell me more, tell me more
I have trouble with lace!

shoo-bop bop, shoo-bop bop, shoo-bop bop,shoo-bop bop, shoo-bop bop, shoo-bop bop, shoo-bop bop, YEH

On vacation, where did you go?
On vacation, I got Malabrigo
It was soft, just like a hug
Should I make a simple shrug?

Woah!

Summer heat, yarn and I meet, but uh-oh those Summer Knits

woo, woo, woo

Tell me more, tell me more
How much dough did you spend?
Tell me more, tell me more
Is that by Fiber Trends?

Getting hotter, wove in the ends
Getting hotter, are we still friends?
Entrelac, I don’t know how!
Wonder what I should knit now
Summer dreams ripped out the seams,
bu-hut ahhh, those Su-hum-mer Kni-hits
Tell me more, tell me mo-o-oore!