espknits

10 Days To Go

2008-12-15T21:29:00.004-06:00

There is progress in the esp workshop, although it's slow going. I seem to take 2 steps forward and 1 step back (now I've got that old Paula Abdul song stuck in my head). And I added another project.

My favorite project is the beaded scarf for Mom's birthday. It took forever, but was a lot of fun to knit. It blocked very well (and I used blocking wires for the first time which wasn't as scary as I thought it would be). I forgot to take a picture between blocking and wrapping, so I'll get one later when she opens her present.

2. The felted clogs are done, they just need to be felted.

3. Big Snugs. It's insane how much knitting these things involve. You knit 2 outer boots, 2 linings, and 2 bases. It doesn't sound like too much, but I started this project 3 months ago and still have to knit most of the last outer piece and another sole. Hopefully they'll be done in the next few days so I can felt them (and the felted clogs) sometime next weekend so they'll be dry by Christmas.

4. The chunky alpaca cowl. This was really quick, but threw me for a loop at the end. I used a provisional cast on so I could graft the ends together, eliminating a seam. I blocked it flat, then spent a while trying to figure out how to graft the knits and purls. I finally finished it this morning and tried it on- too big. Crap. After about an hour of ripping out the original graft, ripping a pattern repeat and re-grafting, it's done. Whew.

5. Pirates! I wanted a new challenge for my nephews, and as they're getting a little older (2 and 3) they need cooler stuff. They're into everything right now - dinosaurs, firemen, Yo Gabba Gabba (my personal favorite), knights, Dora the Explorer, Go Diego Go, and pirates. After some serious work on double-knit reversible awesome pirate hats, I started to hate them. it was a really cool idea, but it did not work out. Sometimes the best solution is the simplest: knit a plain stockinette hat and embroider some bad-ass skulls on the front. Easy. They took just a couple hours each.

6. Dark Mark Scarf. Haven't touched it in a while (the recipient is going out of town for Christmas so I have a little extra time).

7. Robin's Egg Blue Hat. Done. I used Rowan's Cocoon and am now obsessed with that yarn and that pattern. Maybe I'll make another in January.

8. Toddler Socks. I started to swatch last night and can't seem to come up with a decent stitch pattern (out of all of my Barbara Walker Treasuries and other stitch dictionaries). I'll figure it out tomorrow.

9. Rowan Big Wool Vest. It blocked nicely, and I started to add the garter stitch border this morning (thought it would be something quick and easy to finish after the cowl gave me so many problems). It gave me problems. I ran out of yarn with about 4" to go. Rather than spending another $16.50, I'm going to rip and use less stitches and a bigger needle.

10. Habitat Hat. This is one of the coolest patterns I've ever seen. I knitted until my fingers went numb and am head over heels in love with this hat. I kinda want to make myself one in January to wear when I don't feel like wearing the Robin's Egg Blue hat. This is one of those projects that is absolutely perfect for the recipient - I know he'll be really happy, which makes me really happy.

11. Men's socks. I bought the yarn, but haven't even wound it. I'm hoping to knit an entire pair of socks in 8 days after Christmas.

12. This one I added yesterday, and look - I'm almost done! It's another Habitat for someone whose birthday is really close to Christmas and I was going to buy him something, but honestly, this is easier than running around town trying to find something for my Dad. The yarn is Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted that I found in my closet so I didn't even have to spend any more money.

I have to knit a snug lining, felt some slippers, knit half of a scarf, design and knit 2 pairs of socks, rip and finish a vest, and buy a few things for Mom and the nephews. It didn't seem like a lot until I wrote it all out. I'd better go knit now.

Christmas is Coming!

2008-12-07T10:35:00.002-06:00

I'm back! And I'm knitting A LOT! It's that time of the year when I try to knock out gifts left and right. My wonderful family and friends all seem to have birthdays in the fall, then Christmas, then a couple more birthdays in January, so my hands are busy. So far, I think I may actually be on top of things, because I would rather not spend Christmas Eve blocking 15 different things and weaving in a thousand ends. **If you might be getting a gift from me, stop reading this now**

1. Undulating Waves Scarf. Knitted, ends woven in, need to block.

2. Felted Clogs from Fiber Trends. Need to felt.

3. Big Snugs (boot slippers). Linings knitted, need to knit outer shells and seam and felt.

4. Chunky Alpaca Cowl. I threw in a big cable. Maybe 5" done out of 20" or so.

5. Pirate hats. They're double-knitted hats with a skull and crossbone motif. I finished one last night and am terrified that they are too big. I'll measure the boys' heads tomorrow and pray that they're the same size as mine. If not, then we'll find out if Encore can shrink.

6. Dark Mark Scarf. It's a really cool shadow-knitting scarf inspired by Harry Potter. I'm about a third of the way done and haven't worked on it in months.

7. Robin's Egg Blue Hat. Just started last night, will finish today. Loving it.

8. Toddler socks out of Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted in colorway Happy Valley. Haven't even bought the yarn yet.

9. Cinnamon Vest from Rowan's New Shapes. It's out of Big Wool and took no time. Need to block and add the edging.

10. Brooklyn Tweed's Habitat. It's a gorgeous cabled hat. Will start today.

11. Men's socks. Technically not due until January 2nd, so I haven't bought the yarn yet. I think I'll use Smooshy from Dream in Color.

I still need to buy a couple of things and have no idea what I'm going to get mom and dad for Christmas (they each get one knitted gift and one purchased gift because their birthdays are so close to Christmas). Whew. I have plenty of coffee, some Titans football coming up on tv, and am ready to knit all day.

By the way, I'm sorry for completely neglecting this blog for a while. I didn't want to blog for a while, then life picked up and got better and much busier. Now I'm knitting so much that I have to share!

How Cool Is This!!!!!!

2008-09-20T18:44:00.003-05:00

I have a friend who is so amazing that not only does she know Mike Keith (the Voice of the Titans), she took me to his radio show with Jeff Fisher last week.

Can you tell I'm just a little bit excited to meet Jeff Fisher?

I also got to meet Justin Gage, our top wide receiver. I was a little excited about that too.

It was such a fun night! It was also very very cool to meet Mike Keith, who I've been listening to on the radio for 10 years now. He was so kind and welcoming, and we got to talk football too. Coach Fisher and Justin were also very gracious and nicer than you'd expect.

Now it's time to talk football. The Titans beat Jacksonville in a great game in week 1, then went to Cincinnati in a windstorm and whooped the Bengals. We've got a strong team and I definitely have high hopes for this season. Tomorrow I'm going to the game where we face the Texans, who have had their season turned around by Hurricane Ike. While I'm praying for them and their city, I still hope we kick their butts tomorrow.

My prediction: Titans win!

Happy Feet

2008-09-20T18:05:00.005-05:00

Awwwwwwww..... Aren't they cute! It's been a while since I posted pics of the nephews and they are so grown up!!! That's Big D on the right, he just turned 3, and he's hugging (not strangling) his little brother, Buddha Bear, who is about to turn 2.

I am so proud of them - they are both incredibly loving, thoughtful little guys. They're starting to speak Spanish, and each of them can name about 3o different dinosaurs, although their favorite is the Mighty T Rex (with razor sharp teeth).

That's enough gushing for one post. I made their mommy some Fiber Trend's Felted Clogs for her birthday, and they felt very left out. They would steal her slippers and wear them around the house and cry if she tried to take them back. So, like a good Auntie, I made them each a pair.

I was really surprised at just how fast they knitted up. While watching football last Sunday, I knocked out 4 slippers in about an hour and a half. It's a fun knit, just complicated enough to keep you interested, but could still pay attention to the game.

I've painted the bottoms with puff paint for traction, and now they're a happy family with very happy feet. As a knitter, it's the best feeling in the world to know that your loved ones appreciate what you make for them.

Do I Get A Medal?

2008-08-24T19:32:00.003-05:00

I did it! My 2008 Olympic Challenge is done! Okay, it's not blocked, and I was weaving in my last end as the closing ceremonies started and frantically taking pictures outside in my pajamas before the sun set, but it's done.

I started off knitting "Scarf with edging 21 and insertion 25 from The Knitted Lace Pattern Book" from Victorian Lace Today, but didn't really like "insertion 25". The border is the same but I fiddled around with some things and came up with my own center pattern. It was fun! I love knitting lace, and love knitting with soft, luxurious yarn even more. I used a size 6 needle and Punta Del Este's Mericash yarn - 80% merino, 20% cashmere. Very very very very soft.

Unfortunately, there were a few things going on in the last 17 days that tried to derail this project. My bro and his lovely wife were in town and we enjoyed a week of family time - lots of good food (chocolate pie and peach crisp in the same night!), an AMAZING concert (go buy every album by My Morning Jacket. If you don't love it, I will come smack you upside the head), and we even roasted marshmallows and went "camping" in my bro's backyard. And I got sick. By the time we were sweating by the campfire Monday night, I was in full-fledged sinus infection hell. Then it turned into an upper respiratory infection and I'm still sick. I sat on my couch all day Thursday (except a trip to the doctor) and did not knit a stitch. I must be feeling a little better, because I knitted about 15" of scarf today to finish.

I haven't posted in forever, and it's been a hectic summer, but promise to post more. My family's birthday season is fast approaching, with Christmas coming soon after, so it's time to warn my family and friends that their presents may appear on this here blog.

Hope everyone had a fun Olympics!

Sunshine

2008-05-26T12:02:00.003-05:00

Happy Memorial Day! It's officially the start of summer, thank goodness, and I kicked it off with a perfect day at the lake with friends.

My dear friend Carrie (above) and I joined some other friends on Old Hickory Lake yesterday for some sunshine. (And SPF 50 sunblock).

I learned how to wear a diaper - not what you're thinking. If you wear a life jacket upside down in the water, you float effortlessly.

We drove around for a while getting sun, then stopped off at a restaurant - I would definitely recommend this place if I could remember the name - Anchor Something Or Other. They had a killer shrimp po-boy and a great selection of beer for a hot afternoon.

I'm still not posting a lot lately, and have had a lot going on, but just wanted to share some sunshine with the world. I'm so glad we got out yesterday because some storms are about to pass through, but after that I'm planning some pool time with friends and am thoroughly enjoying this holiday. It's been the perfect combination of good friends, sun (but not enough to burn my freaky pale skin), and laughter.

Sorry....

2008-05-15T21:29:00.003-05:00

It's been a while, and a whole lot has been going on since my last post. I've had plenty of things to celebrate. A bunch of my friends graduated with various degrees from Vanderbilt, and my brother and his lovely wife celebrated their first wedding anniversary! They even came over to share their anniversary cake with us.

Such a happy koala couple. Speaking of bro, he and his wife are travel nurses and just signed on to spend three months in Santa Fe. He's sharing their adventures with a new blog. Yes, my brother is a treehugging traveler with itchy feet and I love him lots. Check it out!

I've been spending a lot of quality time with my nephews too. Here's Hoss with his Auntie in the park. I know everyone says this, but they grow up so fast.

As for knitting, I've been just as spastic as ever. David, formerly of TBY, showed me some gorgeous lace he was working on and completely inspired me. So I grabbed the most beautiful knitting book ever, Victorian Lace Today, and started a new project.

I ripped out my old lace project with Schaefer's Andrea, and started again. I've just finished the border and am starting the center panel.

To counteract the intricate brain-consuming lace I'm working on a couple of semi-mindless patterns too. One is a surprise, and the other is a tank top for work - I'm teaching a class on it in June - check the schedule.

It's the Ribby Shell from ChicKnits, and is just enough boring and just enough going on to keep you interested.

Whew. Life seems to get busier and more stressful every day, and I've given up on just hanging in there until it's calm and have decided that it's alright to be crazy busy. I've had a couple of great weekend trips and lots of fun celebrations, but have also been dealing with drama too. Things are definitely looking up, and I'm looking forward to a great summer.

Just Like Heaven

2008-04-21T19:01:00.004-05:00

The Hosts

Saturday night I went to my favorite getaway - the Lakehouse. Abbie and Benji's dad has a little lakehouse somewhere between here and Memphis. The drive is just long enough to feel like you're far away, but just short enough to go away for a night. Abbie and I have been spending weekends there since I turned 16, sometimes with her brother (a.k.a. my "otha-brotha"), sometimes with friends, and sometimes just to get away for a girl's weekend.

The Next Generation

There are certain Lakehouse rules. Some came from tradition, others from necessity, and some from, well, we might have been drinking when we made those up. It can't be a Lakehouse weekend without wine coolers (don't ask why - just drink your darn wine cooler and get on with it). We also have to play certain games - Connect Four, Uno, and gin. There's really nothing else to do there after dark but drink and play cards on the screen porch.

The Neighbors

Guests must have a smile on their face within 10 minutes of arrival, and if you're not having a good time, go home. You'd better be easily amused, because you're on your own for entertainment. You're not allowed to know what time it is. There are about 15 clocks in the 4 room cabin, and none of them work. It's either time to eat, time to go to bed, time to get up, or time to go fishing. Everyone must pitch in equally when it comes to groceries, cooking, cleaning, etc. We all go there to get away, so no one person should have to take care of everyone else. The most important rule is that you have to go home stinky. You can't go to the Lakehouse and drive home clean. That would be just silly.

Little Tay and Auntie Em

This past weekend was fairly typical. Abbie, her daughter, Benji, and a couple other friends arrived earlier, so I showed up just in time for dinner (working Saturdays isn't always fun, but at least I got out of dinner duty). Afterwards we put little Tater to bed and sat on the porch for a quiet, but fun night with friends. We went to bed at about dark-thirty, every little bed and couch full.

The Fish Whisperers

The next morning, Benji and his niece collected sticks to give to Mommy. It's funny how we all revert back to high school at the Lakehouse. It's like we're playing house. When we all lived with our parents, the Lakehouse was just that. It was our own special place to get away and feel like adults, but now we feel like teenagers there.

Baby Turtle

After a great day, we cleaned up, packed our gear and headed home. I was about an hour away from Nashville when my legs started to hurt a little. Abbie and I were so concerned with not letting Tater get too much sun that we might have forgotten to re-apply sunblock. My legs are fried. It hurts to bend them, touch them, or even wear pants. It looks like I'll be wearing long skirts all week.

Other than the burn, I came home rested, happy, and most importantly, stinky. And it's not even summer yet. There are many Lakehouse weekends to come.

Sides Hurt From Laughing

2008-04-09T21:27:00.004-05:00

The Harlot came to Tennessee, and did not disappoint. That woman can say "Hello" and I'd laugh uncontrollably.

There was a great group at Borders, and I always get a thrill seeing this many people knitting at once. It makes me feel just a little bit more normal (which doesn't happen too often).

The Harlot also brings people together. Here's my pal JP (it stands for Just Perfect) and his friend Ashley. His blog rocks, he's fun, charming, and an amazing knitter.

I just had to throw in a picture of the two of us - we usually chat via e-mail, so it's extra nice to see him in person. I showed him how to do magic loop, and he got it instantly. ('Cause he rocks).

These are two of my favorite knitters, Jen and Kim, who are now sock Queens. They both took sock classes from me, and it makes me feel like a proud mama to see just how much they love sock knitting.

After catching up with friends and knitting a bit, the Harlot spoke. Hee Hee Ha Ha almost peed my pants funny!!! She's funny, smart as anything, and tells the best stories.

We all got in line to get our books signed. She met TBY's incredible owner, Dana, and we took a group picture. OMG she's holding my sock! And OMG I got to hold her sock!!!! How cool is that? My eyes are actually open in this picture too!

The night was a blast. I'm still all keyed up from having so much fun. It's the same feeling I get after going to a great concert. My non-knitter friends have asked me about the Harlot - apparently they don't understand the term "knitting humorist". She's a rock star in the knitting world, and she liked my sock. Cool.

The Harlot is Coming to Town!!!!

2008-04-08T19:12:00.004-05:00

I have spent the last 45 minutes trying to locate one of my favorite pictures of all time - The Yarn Harlot and I, both with our socks. I would never ever delete that picture, because it's awesome, but it's gone from iPhoto. It's gone from all of my photo backup discs dating back to 2006. I was so excited that I had a good picture of me with a knitting rock star, but it's gone, so picture this:
The Yarn Harlot, in front of a gorgeous wall of yarn, holding her pretty blue socks, and yours truly, with my eyes actually open in a picture (it's rare), holding my pretty blue socks.

She came to the store about 2 years ago and I had just quit for a new job. (Still trying to remember why I left the store in the first place.) The owner asked me to come help, and I not only heard her chat, took pictures, and got autographs, I went out to dinner with the Harlot (and a few famous Nashville bloggers too). We drank wine and knitted and ate good food and it was such a fun night.

She's coming to town again, tomorrow night, and it should be just as much fun (even though I don't have the dinner invitation this time.) I'm starting some socks tonight to honor the occasion, and a good friend will be here too!

On a side note, the happy socks didn't make me happy. At all. My mind was set on a cool diagonal lace pattern, and the colors pooled no matter what size needle I used. After 4 hours and a headache (and a glass of wine) I finally put them down and decided they needed to be stockinette socks, no funky lace. It doesn't pool anymore, but I'm waiting for my magic loop class to begin for those - it's an excuse to knit a sock along with the class.

I picked up some psychedelic-lookin' Arucania sock yarn recently, and started a pair last weekend (or was it the weekend before?). After a lot of careful swatching and about 4" of leg knitted, I tried it on to show off to a friend and realized it was way too small. Painfully small. It wouldn't even fit over my heel. Whoops. Tonight, after I get my other work done, I'll start with 8 more stitches and see what I can get done before tomorrow night. The timing is great - I'm in the mood for something lacey yet psychedelic.

I've been working on another, somewhat secret, project. I have a great dress - brown, strapless, with a strip of pearly-white embroidery under the bust. It's perfect for summer parties and weddings, but I feel somewhat exposed in the dress, and need a little cover up. I thought about designing something, but that takes a lot more time and energy and I might wear the cover up in about a month. That was too much pressure.

I bought some Blue Sky Alpaca's Alpaca Silk and started to crochet Short 'N Sweet from The Happy Hooker. It was cute, but the fabric wasn't exactly what I wanted. So of course, I'm designing something, kinda. It's a cop-out design - I'm taking a great short sleeve wrap pattern from an old issue of Rebecca Magazine and changing the lace pattern and shape to fit my needs. I can't publish it, but it's coming up very quickly. Here's a sneak peek:

I started graphing and swatching on Saturday night, and now have finished one sleeve, the back, one front, and am 4" up the second front piece. It's just gorgeous. Hopefully it will be blocking by this weekend, but I'm not holding out too much hope for this week. Thursday is SNB so I work late, Friday I have a late lesson and am babysitting after that, then Sunday and Monday I'm helping a friend move. Ugh. Looks like I'll have to take my pencil, calculator, graph paper, and new design wherever I go.

Wait, didn't I just say that I'm re-starting that sock tonight? I'll start the sock, then work on the design.

Hope to see everyone at the Harlot tomorrow! It's at Borders on Franklin Road in Brentwood - just go here for details.

Socks, Easter, Birthdays, and General Insanity

2008-03-28T18:37:00.004-05:00

The cashmere socks are done! Woo Hoo!!

Ain't they purty? It really was a race to the finish. The legs worked up quickly, and were really fun. Then came the pain. I knew my gauge with the green yarn would be a little smaller than the cashmere, but didn't realize just how much smaller it would be. See this heel flap? Can you guess how many rows?

72. Yes, 72 rows in eye of partridge to make a 2.5" heel flap. My jaw was dropping too. It kept going and going and going and going. I was ready to turn the heel by late Thursday night, right on schedule, but didn't get them done until sometime Monday. I picked up stitches for the gusset as usual, but realized that if I picked up one stitch per slipped stitch the gusset puckered like you wouldn't believe. So I ripped both socks back and picked up 3 stitches every 4 rows and it worked out alright. The feet were knitted in a blinding fury, and I finished the toes at work by about 5:15 on Wednesday, steam ironed them at work, picked up a cake, sped home, took a shower, wrapped the gifts, and sped to the recipient's house for a party.

He adores them, as he should. They fit perfectly, and he was given strict instructions on how to treat the socks with the respect they deserve, and he will be getting a lesson on how to properly wash them in room temperature water with scentless Soak. I wouldn't have made these socks if they wouldn't be appreciated, and I am pleased to say that they are loved.

I had to really push to get them done because life has gotten more crazy every day. Saturday night I went to a dinner party with some old friends, and ate grouse. It tasted like chicken. I just had a bite, because I normally don't eat chicken or game, but that's not something you get to try every day.

The rest of the week has been a blur - Easter Sunday with the family, including my aunt and uncle from Virginia and cousin SassyFrassy, then the birthday party for cashmere sock boy on Wednesday (including seeing The Gourds at Mercy Lounge!).

Thursday night was another great birthday party - for my big brother. Mom cooked a great meal, topped off with key lime pie and hummingbird cake. I got the award for the best card - it was one of those musical cards that played "Play That Funky Music". Big bro and the nephews rocked out and were shakin' their booties all night.

I think I'm still full from last night. Finally, tonight I'm doing nothing. And it's so nice! After such a dreary day, I picked up some Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in the color Happy Valley to brighten my spirits. I'm a sucker for that 10-minutes-before-closing-I'm-in-a-bad-mood impulse buy. That's the best and worst part of working in a yarn store. The discount is amazing, but I spend so much more money because the discount can justify anything.

AAAAAH! I've been tagged!

2008-03-15T18:01:00.004-05:00

A certain friend was giving me hell for not posting lately (sorry) so she tagged me for a meme.

Here goes:

The rules:

1) Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.
2) Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3) Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4) Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

I was tagged by my favorite PhD candidate, the 6 Speed Knitter.

1 - I'm terrified of slugs. One dark night, while walking barefoot, I stepped on a slug and it squished between my toes. The most disgusting feeling ever. Eeeeeeewwwwwww! It took a very long time to scrub the slugginess off. I've hated those darn things ever since.

2 - Heard of the Bell Witch? I'm a descendant of the Bell family, who were apparently tortured (and one was murdered) by the Bell Witch in West Tennessee. She's supposed to come back every 108 years or so and torture their descendants, but I'm not too worried.

3 - Last night on 20/20 there was a story about an artist who scratched her skin with knitting needles and the design would raise up and stay there for about 30 minutes. My skin does that too. See:

I did that on my arm at work today to prove to Abby that it would actually stay. If I've gotten a little sun, I can press down on my stomach and leave a handprint for a good 5 minutes.

4 - I have amnesia. 2 weeks after 8th grade graduation, I was hit by a car while riding my bike. (No, I was not wearing a helmet, so let this be a lesson to everyone else.) It was a hit-and-run, and I had a major concussion. I don't remember anything in the 2 weeks leading up to the accident, and my first memory is coming home from the hospital and watching Funny Farm on tv. Chevy Chase is so funny!

5 - My mom's dad was a cattle farmer. He was a bad-ass, and an industry leader. Dad's third cousins are the Perdue Chicken people. And I eat neither beef nor chicken (not for political reasons or anything like that, I just don't like the taste). I do gobble up a lot of turkey and seafood though, but don't think I'm related to any turkey farmers or fisherman. I am going fishing tomorrow, does that count for anything?

It's getting difficult to come up with things. Hmmmm.... I called my good dear friend to come up with more random and weird things about me and we realized that everything about me is random and weird.

6 - My pets live freakishly long lives. I got a dog, Hosie (her name is a whole different random and weird story), on her first birthday, and she lived to be almost 19 years old. I got a Betta fish, named Buju Banton, and he lived 6 years. My sister's cat, Angel, lived to be almost 20. I sure hope that by writing this I'm not jinxing Just Fish. I've become quite attached to the little guy.

7 - I DESPISE pretzels and have never met anyone else who shares my hatred. They just taste so bad! I don't know how everyone else eats them. People tell me that the big soft kind are a lot better, but no, they're gross too. It's like licking a pile of yeast covered in seawater.

That took longer than expected! Back when Flava Flav was cool the first time, my brother gave me the nickname "Flav Random" because he thought I was really random and weird. He still does, but he's just as random and weird as I am.

And scratch what I said in #5 about going fishing tomorrow. Plans are changing - I think I'm going to some horse race instead. Either way, it'll be nice to go on a little day trip and get out of NashVegas for a few hours.

I promise to post some knitting in the next couple days. Mom's clapotis is done, but I want to weave in ends and block it before I take pictures. I'm starting 2 projects tonight - one is a sexy little number for me, and the other is an ambitious gift.

I'm making a pair of cashmere socks on size 00 needles and have 11 days to finish them. How is it that I finish mom's mother's day gift 2 months early, and leave myself 11 days to knit a pair of socks for someone with 17" calves? At least they're not knee socks, but it's still going to be a race to the finish. I've got some travel time to knit tomorrow, but I'll be with the recipient of the socks so they can't come. I swatched some last night, and it looks like the socks will start off with around 100 stitches, then decrease to about 82 by the time I get to the ankle. The yarn is Jade Sapphire's 2-ply cashmere, and I'm using 3 strands of Lacey Lamb for the cuff, heel, and toe. The 00's are easier to knit with than I expected, and the cashmere is so soft that you don't want to stop knitting. They go even faster if I knit them at the same time, and I figure with a strong start, if both heels are turned by Thursday night then everything will work out just fine.

Have a safe weekend everyone, and try not to drink too much green beer!

Bi-Craftual

2008-03-02T14:48:00.004-06:00

It's been a while since I posted. This was not intentional, life has just been busier than usual. I've been knitting on socks, but mostly have been working on something for me! My newest book obsession is Knitting Lingerie Style. Yes, they have patterns for thongs, bras, and corsets, but they also have some gorgeous lacy things that aren't so risque. I knitted the Essential Top in no time, wore it on Thursday, and spilled lunch on the front before I took a picture. Once it's washed and re-blocked, I'll take a picture and post it.

Today is a beautiful day, and I'm taking advantage of a nice back porch and some sunshine. I've got good coffee, my i-pod, a crochet hook, and 17 colors of Cascade 220. It's a Babette day. Every once in a while I run back inside to block more squares and put them together. Here's what I've got so far:

This thing is fun! I strongly recommend that everyone makes this blanket. If you don't crochet, this is a great opportunity to learn. Granny squares are very easy and quiet mindless, and they hardly take any time to crochet. The pattern calls for koigu, and there are a lot of people using louet gems, but Cascade is less expensive and makes a bigger blanket. The construction is based on log cabin - start with the big center square, then make strips that build on each other. The second strip is 2 six-round squares, the third is a bunch of 4-round and 2-round squares, etc.

One thing that I seriously need to work on is getting gifts done early so I don't freak out before birthdays and holidays. My brother's birthday gift is done (purchased, not handmade - I get lazy sometimes), and I just started mom's mother's day gift:

It's a springy clapotis made out of SWTC's bamboo. This stuff is silky, strong, and is really nice to work with. So far I've just started the straight rows, and have only dropped one stitch. Can't wait to see how it looks once there's a little more done.

My hands are a little tired so I'm on my way to the park to meet friends. Enjoy this beautiful day, because they're calling for more freezing temps and snow this week.

Spoiled Rotten

2008-02-17T19:57:00.005-06:00

I left work early yesterday to go on a mini-getaway to Monteagle. We stayed in the same place as last fall. While the trees aren't as pretty in the winter, it was still a blast and quite beautiful.

I'm teaching another sock class, so it's another excuse to make a sock. This one is out of Flat Feet, an interesting way of packaging sock yarn. The store should get a shipment in March. I'm almost done with the leg, and knitted a few inches in the car on the way.

As we were pulling up to the house, we almost ran over a deer.

His friends were not far away.

After a little hike, we ran across a waterfall and I took a bunch of pictures.

The view from the porch hasn't changed much - this was after it rained all day.

While it was pouring outside, we stayed in and watched tv. I turned the heel on the vacation socks from New Year's. The colors are matching up so well.

I feel like this post has been a really bad version of a 3rd grader's "What I did on vacation" report. I really should blog when I'm a little more awake and have a little more energy.

Snowy and Cold

2008-02-13T19:57:00.003-06:00

It snowed!

This was the view from I-65 on my way to work this morning. Don't worry - I wasn't moving at the time. Nashville drivers (myself included) do not know how to drive in bad weather, so we slow down a lot. Apparently there was no reason why everyone was stopped on the interstate for 10 minutes, but I guess snow is enough reason here.

I finished the Uncle Argyle scarf last night and steam-blocked it. This morning I decided to bring it to work to show Dana, and realized that it could used a little Soak. Aquae is my favorite scent, and it's perfect for boys. We have a tester at work, so I washed it and laid the scarf out to dry in the corner. Yet another perk of working at a yarn store.

Although this scarf seemed to take forever and a year, it was still a whole lotta fun. The idea to make another using a different stitch pattern is creeping back into my head. It'll have to get in line behind about 10 other projects, as usual, but I'll get it eventually.

Tired Auntie

2008-02-11T18:19:00.000-06:00

It's Monday, which is my favorite day of the week - I get to spend all day with the nephews. While it's always fun, I end up absolutely beat and the older (and bigger) they get, the more exhausted I am at the end of the day. My brother taught Hoss (the 2-year-old) to go up to pretty girls and say "What's happening hot stuff?". A friend of mine stopped by, who Hoss has a big crush on, and he didn't stop saying it. Little Buddha (who is now only 3 pounds shy of his big brother) is starting to put words together and is so excited about everything! It's great that he's talking, but he doesn't stop. It's nice to be home to peace and quiet.

Yesterday I had a wonderful adventure.

A friend took me sailing on Percy Priest. While it was frigid, it was great to be in the sun. January and February are so horrible - dark, cold, and all around dreary. It drives me crazy every year. So when I get the chance to be outside on a sunny afternoon, it is greatly appreciated.

As for knitting (and crochet) I finally picked colors for the Babette blanket.

It's all Cascade 220 - some regular, a few superwash. I love the colors. Blankets are great because you can pick colors that you don't work with much - while I can't wear that pretty gold in the top left of the basket, I can sure crochet squares with it.

I'm also working on a little weekend project that's a surprise for a couple of people. It's a bonnet from Itty Bitty Hats, pattern slightly altered (of course). I can't get enough seed stitch. It's my favorite.

It's just about knit o'clock, and my project for this evening is the Uncle Argyle Scarf from Son of Stitch 'N Bitch. It's so much fun to work on, but takes forever and ever and ever. I feel terrible that what was once a Christmas gift is now turning into a Valentine's gift. At least the recipient is patient. So far 18 pattern repeats are done, and the pattern calls for 23. If I get 3 done tonight, 2 tomorrow, then I can block it on Wednesday and give it away on Thursday. Hopefully.

It was a dark and stormy night...

2008-02-05T21:09:00.001-06:00

It's downright nasty outside. The news is talking about gusts up to 100mph and 2" hail. The scary part is that this isn't even the big bad storm - that one will hit us in a few hours. Now they're talking about a super-cell thunderstorm that's right over us, and a house was leveled about 15 miles away.

I live in a really old house with lots of windows, so I'm now at a friend's house who has a basement. The neighbors (who are all good friends) have started to pile in and we're having a storm party - and I'm the girl blogging in the corner.

Remember Benjie, the guy who got the awesome fair isle hat? He just commented that this post could be my last communication on earth. Thanks, man.

The best part of watching storm coverage on tv is the names for storm tracking devices. Our local CBS affiliate has named their radar system "TITANscan". Nice.

Before the storm arrived, I embarked on a pretty big project. I recently inherited a very nice oriental rug. It's absolutely gorgeous, but is not my favorite colors. At the moment, it is hanging out in the hall outside my door.

A plan has been hatching in my brain. Everyone lately is obsessed with the Babette Blanket, and I am too. A few customers have brought the finished product to the store, and it is amazing. So I'm making myself a big babette - using Cascade 220 instead of Koigu, so the squares will be bigger.

So how do you match yarn colors with a huge rug? I devised a plan. It turned out to be a little harder than imagined.

First, I had to see the rug in my hall. The problem is that our light bulbs are out at the moment, so I brought in 2 lamps.

Once the rug was properly lit, I made a list of the main colors.

Second, find a way to match the yarn to the rug. I can't bring the rug into work and hold it up to our wall of 220. And I can't grab one of each of the 80-something colors we have and bring them home either. So I stole the color cards and brought them home! This is definitely one of those things that you only get to do when you work at the yarn store. (Notice my awesome doormat in the bottom of the picture?)

This process also took a lot longer than expected. Once I've figured out which colors match the rug, I'll play with the selection, add some colors that are more my style, and choose the final 17. This should be fun.

Alright I am so scattered right now - between trying (in vain) to write a coherent post, watching news coverage, and making fun of Benjie, my mind is not in the right place to post.

Now they're talking about dorms being demolished at Union University, students still trapped in storms, and a 22-semi pileup, this is scary. And to think that I turned on the tv a few hours ago to check election coverage.

2008-02-04T17:21:00.000-06:00

There's not too much knitting going on in my little treehouse right now. It's been a calm, contemplative, and quite restful weekend.

Saturday night was Art at the Arcade, and it was a blast. I saw a bunch of good friends and even more great art. If you haven't been, you really really need to check it out. One of my favorite exhibits was by John Hung Ha, who has a really cool perspective on asian art. Another friend bought one of his pieces, and I'm jealous. Twist has a tres-Nashville exhibit that just opened, which you have to see. And of course, there's Daniel Lai, who always rocks. If I had any extra money, I would have bought one of his pieces.

Not much else going on. It looks like there's a night of good food and a good book ahead of me. Quiet is just what I needed.

Super Bowl 2008

2008-02-03T15:26:00.000-06:00

It's that time of the year again!

I'm actually a little sad about this year's Super Bowl. I'm not rooting for the Patriots because they are cheaters. If they win, I hope there's an asterisk by their title just like there's one for Barry Bonds' records (due to his steroid scandal).

I'm not rooting for the Giants because I just don't like them. I don't like the Mannings at all. As a Titans fan, I don't like Peyton because he's in our division and the Colts are such a big rival. I'm not quite sure why I hate the Giants so much, I just do.

It almost feels like election day - I'm choosing to root for the lesser of two evils. And I still haven't figured out who that is.

The saddest part of the Super Bowl is that it marks the end of the football season. After tonight, we have to wait until August to see anymore NFL. That sucks. I'll follow the off-season, the draft, and will start to get really excited when training camp kicks in again, but what will I do on Sundays until then? The Nashville Predators rock, but the games are only on cable tv, which I refuse to get.

Although I'm not rooting for anyone, I'm predicting that the Patriots will win, 27-21.

Hope everyone has a safe and happy Super Bowl.

2008-01-28T18:40:00.000-06:00

After a week of housesitting, it's strange to be home again. I love this little apartment, but it was really nice to take a jacuzzi bath every night. I did check out this thing they call cable tv and there was never anything on but cheesy reality shows and crappy movies. Do people really watch that show about Scott Baio? He was cute in Charles In Charge, but it's been 20 something years. Waiting for me at my doorstep was a flyer from the cable company, and it's safe to say that it's not worth the money.

So far I don't think any mice are dead. The traps haven't worked, but they have been eating the poison. Thanks to a heads up from Betty, I picked up a thingie you plug into an outlet and it's supposed to emit a sound that scares away rodents and spiders and such. We'll see if it works.

It's been over a week since the mousetrap went off on my finger (twice) and here's the progress:

It still hurts, but only if I bump into something.

While it's been a fun week, there hasn't been much knitting. I'm still trying to finish a kickass Christmas present and am about 2/3 of the way there. It's the Uncle Argyle Scarf from Son of Stitch 'N Bitch, and it is so much freakin' fun to knit! The recipient saw it last week, and loves it, so the home stretch shouldn't be bad.

Isn't it purty? Notice the little red thing attached to the working yarn - it's a yarn guide and I couldn't do fair isle or double knitting without it. Because I'm a continental knitter, I hold both yarns in my left hand and the guide keeps them from getting tangled.

This scarf is so cool that I'm now about to design another one for me. Other than this scarf, I'm working on a couple of designs and a whole lotta socks. The vacation socks still need to be finished, and I'm teaching a class and have to do homework along with everyone else.

It might be time to make some hot chocolate and look through my favorite book - 1000 Great Knitting Motifs - and start thinking about the next double knitting scarf. Maybe I'll dream of a jacuzzi tub...

Score: Mouse - 1, ESP - 0

2008-01-20T16:18:00.000-06:00

Bad news. He ate the peanut butter off 2 traps and they didn't go off. So, like a big dumb human, I decided to mess with the traps to figure out the problem.

I know better than to stick my fingers in a mouse trap, so I used a plastic knife. And yes, I set it off on my finger. Then my thumb. Then my other finger. Then broke the knife. I reset all 4 traps, added peanut butter in other places hoping it might get him, and set them down again.

Then I found mouse droppings on the floor of my closet.

While I am usually a pacifist, this mouse needs to DIE. He's eating my food, pooping on my stuff, and living here without paying rent. I'll get you, rat bastard, and soon.

If anyone has any better ideas about how to deal with this evil stowaway, let me know!

Eek!

2008-01-20T15:00:00.001-06:00

Plans are made to be broken, right? I was so looking forward to a relaxing day of knitting and watching football, but alas, a small creature has ruined it.

Friday night I heard a noise on my kitchen counter. When I went to investigate, I saw a tiny little mouse coming out of a box of soft batch cookies. Eeeewwwwww! I don't hate mice, but they sure aren't my favorite roommates. I bought poison and traps and haven't caught one yet. So today I am deep cleaning my apartment, with the game on in the background. The home is due for a good clean anyway, but I was hoping to put it off a little longer.

The kitchen is now CLEAN, and the only place I've seen droppings is there, so hopefully I won't find mouse poop anywhere else. The thing that freaks me out the most is that it's a studio, and my bed is 2 feet away from the kitchen counter. It's no fun to be in bed, trying to sleep, and thinking that there might be a mouse near the end of my feet. Gross. I'll get that rat bastard and kill him. Trust me.

The good news is that I'm housesitting this week, and will hopefully kill him before I'm home again.

Last night was best friend's birthday party, and we had a blast. I was almost done with her socks when the mouse appeared, and didn't quite finish them in time, but there was plenty of time to knit the legs while playing Charades.

Of course I ripped and started over with a new pattern shortly after I turned the heel on the first design. She ended up getting socks with baby cables: that 2-stitch cable where instead of doing a real cable, you knit 2 together and knit the first stitch again. They were a lot of fun and there's enough yarn leftover to make myself some too!

The best part is that she LOVES her socks! This picture was taken after breakfast this morning - she put them on last night and has not taken them off since. And they fit perfectly!

As of yesterday, Abbie and I have now been friends for half our lives. We are so different - in looks, personality, careers, family lives - every way. But we get each other. And we're always there for each other. When we hang out it feels like we're in high school again, but instead of sneaking out of my parent's house to smoke cigarettes, we're sneaking around her house trying not to laugh too loud or else we'll wake her baby. Life's funny like that.

I'm so thankful for Abbie, and all of my closest friends. I'm thankful for their families, who have become my family. They make life so sweet!

Icky

2008-01-17T16:37:00.000-06:00

I'm sick. It's my annual sinus infection, and it's a bad one. Hopefully the antibiotics will kick in soon.

When not sick, you forget just how much sickness affects your mood (and knitting). I'm mad because the doctor's visit and prescriptions cost way too much money, because all food tastes terrible, because my nose is chapped from kleenex, because the medicine makes me drowsy, and most of all, because the knitting mojo is shaky at best. It also sucks that I'm missing work. I had to cancel a knitting lesson and am missing stitch 'n bleep. Ugh.

This morning I decided to knit some worsted weight toe-up socks to help pass the time. I'm wearing my favorite handknit socks - lime green mini-cable socks out of Cascade 220 superwash - and there's some off-white 220 in the stash. I swatched and swatched but nothing seemed to work. I'm too lazy to purl, so that rules out ribbing, and lace doesn't work with the bigger gauge.

So I called my dearest best friend to talk about our plans for her birthday this weekend. I was sitting there, staring down at my favorite pajama pants (that I stole from her years and years ago) thinking 'what a pretty stitch pattern':

Then I thought about how I have some time on my hands and should make her something for her birthday. It took way too long for me to put 2 and 2 together, but once I got it, I started knitting.

Abbie will be getting a pair of toe-up eyelet birthday socks! It's an easy knit, and works up fast on just 40 stitches. I'll do a short row heel and a 5" leg, and will be able to make a pair out of 1 ball of yarn. Now I'm much happier and instead of thinking about how bad I feel, I'm thinking about my amazing best friend and how much she will love her cozy socks.

Knitting makes everything better.

Back From Cali

2008-01-14T19:09:00.000-06:00

Long Beach was a blast!!! It was tiring and overwhelming, but Dana and I managed to cover the entire show floor, take some cool classes, hang out with some amazing people, and made it home with about 200 pounds of luggage between us. We saw some cool fibers too, from buffalo to possum. Yes, you read it right - possum. It was surprisingly soft too.

While the last few weeks of traveling have been fun, I am so glad to be home. The nephews and I had a lot of fun play time today, I caught up on some knitting this evening, and am about to crash.

To Market, To Market

2008-01-09T19:10:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow morning Dana and I are hopping on a plane for LA - we're going to Market!

It's the TNNA show (The National Needlework Arts Association), and I'm very very excited! We'll be roaming the Long Beach Convention Center checking out all kinds of cool vendors and seeing what's new in the knitting world. Unfortunately, the dreaded ankle is not much better. I'm hoping that the yarn will drown out the pain.

I've got a few knitting projects for the trip: the vacation socks from Florida are still not finished, and that's an easy plane knit. I just cast on for gloves made out of Colinette's Jitterbug, colorway Toscana, and I'm kinda winging it and not really using a pattern, more like a guideline. Should be interesting. I really want to get some work done on my double knitting project, seeing as how it was a Christmas present, but it's so bulky and doesn't travel well. We'll see if it fits in the knitting bag. I'd better finish some projects soon because there will be so many cool ideas at market that I'll want to knit when I get home.

Please send my ankle good healing vibes, and wish us luck!