A rant, a necessary one.

Ok the nice part of this post, Tracy proved to be a much better knitwear photographer than my husband and for that I am grateful!


So that is the gray cardigan. I'm happy with it. It's warm and wearable. Don't know if I'd recommend the knitpicks andean silk really (sooo fuzzy) but it's a keeper.

And then the ugly. Why oh why oh why did I buy this?

I don't understand. I've bought it before. I've hated it before. The fact that they first published it without the girl in the photo and then added it later (why to attract women, or repulse us more or????) just plain skeeves me. And all too often I've joined in the ridicule of the patterns at http://youknitwhat.blogspot.com/. (Face it the magazine could practically be the website) But no, for some reason I bought this. And maybe I'll give them like one teeny tiny speck of credit on having a 'men's issue' for originality. I guess. But still, nothing, nothing, nothing could ever make up for this:

That's right folks it's a knitting centerfold!!!! Like the pages fold out of the magazine and you can hang it in an auto body shop or something. What the?????? Does someone else get this that can explain it to me???? The caption so helpfully tells you where you can get the pattern to knit the fun fur faux bearskin rug. Oh thanks.... And I hate to point it out, but the way he's holding the one needle in his right hand as if he's... Ew ew ewwwww!!!! Sorry bub, maybe I'd think you were cute if I saw you on the beach or something but for now please keep your equipment away from my knitting equipment. Thanks!!!! And knit 1 thanks for burning out my retinas yet again. Next time I'll just flush that money down the toilet and make it a lot less painful.

But what have I been knitting?

Well the gray cardigan is finished.

And I'm much happier with it than I thought I was going to be. I have a couple of pics of it with me in it, but they were taken at the end of the day and let's just say I'm looking a little weary. But they will follow I promise. They have to because that's one of the things I like about the sweater, it really fits me and it is presentable. It's not like I'm just wearing it because it feels good and I like it because I made it. This is actually a very nice sweater, which was a nice surprise because god knows when I was seaming it I had my doubts!

My other main finished project for this week is this

No unfortunately it's not for my beautiful new niece Addie :( This is for a pregnant co-worker of mine who was very heavily hinting that she wanted something handmade after she saw what I had made for Addie. This one is kind of interesting, it's the strangely-titled 5 hour baby sweater. The version of the pattern I used is found here http://www.minidata.co.nz/major/freepatt/patt01.htm. Or there's another here http://www.bevscountrycottage.com/kp3.html. The sweater came out lovely, but 5 hours? Surely you jest! It was at least 8 or 9 easy. Maybe the next time it will be 5 hours, maybe. And next time I'm definitely making the seamless version. I made the version with seams why? I forgot I really, really, really don't like seaming I guess? Anyway, I think my co-worker will like it and I think I probably will make again in the future. The hat is actually the umbilical cord baby hat from Stitch and Bitch which is a pattern I love and have made several, several times. This one is a little different because rather than doing the I-cord & tying it I decided just to sew up the top & make a little bobble in it's place. I like it, I think it's a neater, cleaner alternative to the pom pom. Plus, making pom poms is a technique that continues to elude me. They're never tight enough or shaped right. Despite investing in the proper pom pom device, it's just hopeless, so I'll go with the bobbles.

Oh and the yarn is a yarn that is new to me, Bernat Satin. I loooove this yarn! So, so, soft for an acrylic. Which makes it washable, which I think it necessary for baby wear. And so affordable it's a crime. Definitely, will be using this again also.

Bright and shining and new

Yesterday, Friday, November 18, 2005 at 4:45 in the morning Adelaida Grace was born...

We are so happy to be able to say mom and baby are both doing very very well. Adelaida is a strapping 6 pounds 13 ounces already. She is eating and sleeping and living her new little life already. Best wishes and welcome to you little Addie! Oh the adventure that awaits!

Guess I better go buy some pink yarn!

The scene of the crime...

Sometimes we use the dining room for entertaining. We have friends or family over, I prepare a meal, we have some libations, laugh freeley. And sometimes the dining room is the place where I jump in and drown myself in whatever it is that's trying to be expressed here...

Today's story is one told with wire and glass and those dangerous looking tools. Ohh scary... See I have an upcoming knitting project that happens to call for 18 (yes 18, I'm frightened also) stitch markers. And rather than use the same old safety pins, random yarn pieces, crap I find in the carpet, I've decided to treat myself. So I invested in some jewelry making supplies, scratched my head and bit my lip a lot and somewhere pulled these our of the air

I am quite happy with them. They've bought me some comfort, I now figure hey, if I get the yarn on and it doesn't work and I'm totally confused, at least it will look pretty with some lovely danglies hanging off of it. Perhaps.

Now am I cool?

A photo from yesterday's Daily News...

Titled 'Spin in the city' (how witty) shows Sarah Jessica Parker knitting on the scene of a movie set. Sarah Jessica! Oh my! I knew we had so much more in common than our jet set lifestyles... So there. Knitting is cool. The Daily News says so.

November already... (In which the males of the house make a rare guest appearance)

Fall has come to lovely Matawan...

Fall can mean a lot of things, pumpkins, apples, football (groan), shorter days, back to school. Unfortunately in our household it also means this...

Having a spouse who works for waste management gives us the luxury of having garbage/leaves/old furniture picked up whenever we have the slightest desire. Having 2 huge trees in our front yarn gives us the obligation to rake leaves almost every weekend in the fall. And of course this is just a precursor to the next season where we get to shovel lots and lots of that four-letter word white stuff that is also always such a pleasure....

On a knitting note I am pleased to announce that we have a button band!!!

Last night me and the Mr. decided to stay in thus giving me the time to accomplish said button band. For dinner he made lovely chicken enchiladas (in this house nothing says 'I love you' better than a meal laden with cheese) and I made some rice & beans. We watched the movie A Home at the End of the World which was a pretty good movie based on a novel by the writer who wrote "The Hours". And I finished the button band, which I'm not disappointed in but I'm concerned the neck is going to be a little higher than I normally care for. I don't know, maybe it will be totally different once I have the sleeves on, maybe it's something about the gray color I chose but for some reason I can't help but think without the sleeves right now it looks like one of those colonial vests someone would wear at Williamsburg for a re-enactment of something. Like I can just see one of those Ben Franklin-types wearing it. Not the image I'm really going for here. I think that's just my general aversion towards vests speaking though (sorry vest lovers). I'm going to go forward and try not to make any more judgments about it until I get those sleeves on, and the sides seamed. Right Allister?

Look, they're marketing to meeeee!!!!

Check this out, I got a catalog the other day from a website where I keep my online photos & stuff. They're always coming out with new products you can stick a photo on and check out this one:


So you see the new product is a totebag you can put any photo you want on, how interesting they have chosen to display a knitting picture on their example? (I know it's hard to see, but it's some balls of yarn and needles, I swear) What does this mean? Knitters like totebags? Knitters will like totebags they can put a picture on? Veddy intervesting!

Wicked weekend!

So sometimes there are perks to my job. This weekend was one I really really enjoyed.

I got to see the musical Wicked which was totally cool. Aside from it being a great musical it was relevant because for once in my life I had actually read the book first. Ok so the book was really really strange and graphic at times, but still an entertaining read. The musical was lighter but still lots of fun and colorful and a great story. Another plus- the wizard just happened to be played by Ben Vereen! Yes this Ben Vereen-

He was awesome! And our seats were in the 2nd row center!!!! Hellooo Ben! Then afterwards we went for some very yummy family style italian fare including a chocolate decadence desert. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!

And yes, I am doing some knitting this weekend.

These are the sleeves for the cardigan I'm working on. I'm just a few rows from starting to shape the sleeve caps. Almost there! And then next weekend will probably be a buttonhole band/seaming fiasco which is always fun. Hey, it's almost clothing!

What needle type am I????

All my life I've wondered, what needle type am I? Finally, thanks to Quizilla this question has been answered.



You are pink aluminum.
Retro, straightforward and fun, you love classic
things. If they're 99 cents at Goodwill all the
better! You are moved by striking colors and
tasty morsels, and you like a stitch-n-bitch
session in the sun. Just remember, while
you're being kitschy cool, don't get too cold.
Ice cubes are best kept in your cocktails,
baby!


What kind of knitting needles are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Waterlogged

What happens when the Jersey shore gets hit with a noreaster and a hurricane at the same time?

Very frightening. The jetties have never been covered up like that. It might not be my backyard but it is quite close and I feel bad for those fellow jersians dealing with this. And as a homeowner with a sump pump in my crawlspace I'm really hoping this is not indicative at all as to what kind of winter we are going to have...

Progress

Looks like my cardigan is coming along nicely!

And believe it or not the sleeves are almost halfway done. I'm happy with it so far I guess. It's hard to tell. I did the pinning the sides closed kinda trying it on thing and it's hard to tell. It seems a little long but I'm thinking the set in sleeve situation might fix that a little. That and when I actually seam it rather than trying to hold it together over my body and see into the future and imagine what it will look like with sleeves and all.

Not much to report otherwise. I went to a gift auction held by the Monmouth County Association of Realtors Thursday night (I know you're so jealous). It was pretty snoozeworthy except one of the gifts was a basket donated by Wooly Monmouth. Full of pretty yarn and gorgeous walnut needles I wish I could afford. I swear I put every ticket I had in the bag for that prize but alas, I did not win. So not only was the evening boring but disappointing also! (Ok that was a crappy story, think of something better...)

Well then Friday was a good day, I wore my first pair of socks I knit on Friday and it was amazing. I never thought socks could actually change my outlook for the day. I literally think my day was better because of them. (Note to self knit more socks...)

Ok well to make up for my lack of knitting photos for today. Here is my Jersey fall scene for the day...

Ok so maybe it's not that autumnal but there are leaves on the ground and you can't tell by the picture but it is a lovely crisp 50 degrees. Finally! Anyway, this picture is really for my sister Lara. I am finally mailing out the baby stuff I knit for her tomorrow (really, really I am) and then once she gets it I can finally share with her my uber fascinating knitting blog (yeah right!) and I know she will like the picture of New Jersey in the fall.

Bloggity blog blog blog...

Maybe my blog would get better if I just blogged more often? I dunno, I just think it's kinda boring. Not like all the fun blogs out there I seem to spend hours and hours reading away on. Maybe practice makes perfect. Or not. :)

Anyway, so for my latest creation I knit a muppet!

Ok, so maybe it's not a muppet, it just feels like one. It's a baby blanket for my sisters baby on the way. Thank goodness we have Fozzie for a reference point right? Otherwise, you just couldn't tell it was a blanket right? No, it's not that bad, it's just super super soft Berrocco Plush yarn... and the color... well... I know it will make people think my family must have lived on a commune or something but orange really is my sisters favorite color and I think she will definitely get a kick out of it. It definitely contrasts to the more traditional one I crocheted for her in white...

So these and the sweater previously posted, and some other store bought goodies will be making their way off to Florida this week. I think it will be good, they put my sister on bed rest the other week so I hope maybe this will cheer her up. Plus baby will be here next month! So the time is almost here!

On another note, I didn't get to post about the knit out last weekend. It was a momumental event, a wonderful setting for my caucus with the knitting ambassador

Yes of course that is THE Lion Brand Lion. Someone thought it was an impostor? Blasphemous! Hah! Anyway, so the Knit Out was fun. There were lots of fashion shows I took ton of crappy pictures of, none of which were that great. There were lots of hand outs and we had fun just hanging & knitting and stuff...

It was a fun day for all. Knitting, beautiful weather, free stuff. Very, very fun!

Best weekend ever!

Ok, so now that is has come to my attention that someone other than the spammers (hi Tracy!) is out there reading, maybe I should keep going with the blog. Who knows, let's see where this will take us. Ok this was if not the best weekend ever, at least a really, really, really, really good one.

To begin, feast your eyes on that b-o-o-t-y!

Yes, this weekend was Stitches and I think I did pretty good. There's only 3 balls of the berroco plush left because the 2 are already on their way to be the... well... that will have to come in a later episode. But the other stuff is a free circular case I got for subscribing to knitter's magazine, a whole bunch of noro silk garden that is going to be my very own clapotis (I can't wait, I can't wait!) and a lovely gathering of lovely sock yarns. Oh and oh yeah, my favorite...

How cute is that bag?!?!?!!! And I'm going to make it. Also, very very exciting. And aside from all the goods I also had a really fun time with my fellow knitsters Amy and Erin. We did run into a couple of colorful individuals (you never knew knitters could be so wacky!) yet managed to get away relatively unscathed.

As for Sunday, while not very boisterous or raucous I still had a lovely time attending the Harvest Home Festival at Holmdel Park. There are lots of funny animals there.

And there's also a beautiful house there. Check out the sewing room!!! Knitting needles on the dresser!

They also had demonstrations, lots of crafts, spinning, rug hooking, cross stitch. It was neat. Then I had to come home to a husband whose team lost not one but both quarterbacks this past Sunday. Not a happy camper. I'd say maybe better luck next year, but they are the New York Jets. I just know better.

What have I been up to?

I know. I've been a bad blogger, missing a week and all. Well, I did finish the cardigan for my sister's baby today.

I decided to go with the button and crocheted loop instead of the ribbon. I couldn't really find any ribbon I liked. So that projects done. And the cardigan I'm making myself from the knitpicks yarn is progressing nicely.

I'm happy with it but not excited. I dunno, today I'm just kind of cranky because ....

for chrissakes I just want fall to get here already!!!!

I've had it with this hot summer weather. And I know it's so silly and superficial, and there are so many unfortunate people in the world, in our country right now, I should just be glad to still have my life together and all. But... It's September 18! Stitches is next weekend! I can't think sweaters and knitting for the holidays while it's 80 degrees out here. It's like not hot enough to put the air on, but too warm for it to be cool. It's ridiculous! My husband is at the football game today. I usually love these days, I want to be cuddled up under a blanket knitting. Instead I keep like dozing and lazing about not doing what I wanted to get done today.

Oh well. Like I said I know it's silly. Stitches is next weekend. I'm sure I will have much happier things to report after that.

Fiberlicious goodness...

So I've begun my new work situation and so far so good. So of course with the improvement in pay a fiber influx is to be expected...

It's Andean Silk from Knitpicks in Slate and isn't it pretty? The one missing ball is on it's way to a cardigan for myself (more on that later)... I'm very pleased with it as I am with most of the stuff from Knitpicks. So far it's extremely soft but still seems to have enough body to it to make it as a cardigan. I guess from shipping the balls/skeins/whatever get kind of squashed into this funny flattened hot dog shape

But it doesn't seem to affect the yarn coming out of the skein whatsoever. I also purchased another skein of Rocky Mountain Dusk Sock Landscape yarn to be a pair for the lone skein in my stash. And I spent a whopping $1.50 on a very savvy piece of marketing from Knitpicks which will probably earn much more of my money

This is the color card for Andean silk. The pictures kind of show some of their colors but cannot convey their vibrancy or the yarn's lovely texture. In person though I love it. I have a feeling if this cardigan lives up to its expectations, that and this color card will make it much easier for my future gift recipients to place their orders...

This sucks...

What sucks? This sucks...

Now I have learned why not many people knit gloves. When I saw the pattern I was like, of course that makes sense. And when I saw someone saying on knitlist or something somewhere that they couldn't be bothered with all the fingers I was like whatever! Ah well, so now we have another lesson learned. Note how tiny the little finger is, too small for me to actually get my pinky in there. So then I figured I could make the ring finger fit better by picking up some extra stitches at the bottom, except now it looks like a stupid hot dog finger or something. Whatever! I guess it did what I set out for it to do- used up stash. I just never thought it would turn into garbage so quickly.

On a better note one of gigantor's socks is finished...

I swear this photo does not accurately represent the ginormity of the sock. Yet when hubby puts it on it fits fine and the heel is even a little shallow for him. I'll have to change that if I make another pair. For now I'll just start on the mate and see how much wear these get when they're actually finished. That will have to be deciding factor on the future sock gifts for him.

Heartbreak...

So even before I made my first pair of socks, when I was only planning my first pair of socks I was talking to one of the women in my knit meet up about them. I told her I had gotten the yarn, and the pattern and I told her that I already had a pair of Brittany size 2 dp's that I had bought for something else but never used, and that I would probably use them to make my socks.

"Yeah, um... They're going to break, you're going to want to get bamboo."

Definitely a message that should have been heeded.

Oh well. This is what happens when you are making socks for your husband who has ginormous feet.

Not only do they have to be ginormous socks, but chances are at some point you will have to come back from somewhere, and offer to drive and not think that as he's sitting there innocently snoring in the passenger's side those ginormous feet are going willy-nilly all over those poor little Brittany size 2 toothpicks.

But again. Oh well. There is a happy end to every knitting story. This was actually a welcome impetus to get me out of the house on my own this morning. A nice little trek off to A.C. Moore which was something I really enjoyed and needed. This is kind of a weird weekend. Last Thursday was the last day at my old job and tomorrow is my first day at my new one. So of course I'm kind of excited/scared/happy/nervous and nauseous. :( Add this to the fact that yesterday was my cousin's wedding so my sister is here visiting and my dad was here, and there is just more activity going on than usual makes things kind of crazy right now. So the fact that I had the time and an excuse to just go and spend some quiet quality time with just myself in the car and come back with a nifty knitting acquisition is definitely not a bad thing.

And this time the needles shouldn't break...

White, white, white...

This is my main knitting project right now...

It's a sweater for my niece/nephew who is on the way! I'm absolutely thrilled about the addition to our family. And I'm happy with the sweater, it's the pattern from the Summer '05 Interweave knits. But... well right now I'm working on this and a pair of white socks from the Kroy I got a few weeks ago. And... well... it's not that I've never been a big color person, I usually prefer all black or solids but still... It's a lot of white. And I think as far as the sweater it's also a LOT of garter stitch. More than I'm normally into. I knit to relax, I knit in front of the tv almost always, but still this is almost too mindless. Oh well, not to fear, the sweater will probably be complete today or tomorrow. And then I get to seam. Yay. Not my favorite thing either. Oh well, hopefully baby and mom will like it better than me...

Photo...

Home stuff, lovey stuff...

So this has been a pretty good week. This first week of August has seen this...

Become these...

Just some simple dishcloths/washcloths. Regular old sugar and cream yarn. They will be put with a gift card for home depot as a housewarming gift for my sister and her husband who just moved into their new house in Orlando, Florida. I am so excited for them, but if my 3 years of homeownship have taught me anything so far it's that you can never have too much money to spend at home depot and you can never have too many of these cloths.

The white one is an adaptation of the horseshoe cable as demonstrated on an episode of knitty gritty on the diy network. The 2 yellow cloths are "Grandmother's Favorite" and the "Honeycomb" patterns from my favorite, favorite dishcloth site. These cloths are so pleasing in the simplicity and utility. I encourage anyone who picks up a pair of needles to make a few in their day.

On another note I need to be a little sentimental. Emily from my knitting group got married yesterday! How cool is it that we got to be there to share that with her!

We wish her only the best. It was a great time and it was so wonderful to see her and John so happy together. There was lots of love, love, love. And how cool was it when people asked how we knew her to be able to say "We're in her knitting group!" Everyone knows knitting is very near and dear to my heart but a lot of times this is what it's about too. Not so much the knitting, or the finished objects, but just hanging out together, being girls, laughing a lot, going through our days...