Janz Blogg

Popping my Malabrigo Cherry

2008-05-12T11:01:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure why, but I hadn't knit with Malabrigo until recently. My absolute favorite fiber combo is silk and merino, so when I started reading about Malabrigo Silky Merino, I immediately searched Ravelry to see if anyone had some to destash. Sure enough, someone was selling 2 balls in a gorgeous color, Madre Perla, which is a silvery lavender color.

The color reminded me of my mom, so I decided to knit her something for the first time. I know, can you believe what a terrible daughter I am? I've been knitting for 6 years and everyone and their mother has gotten a handknit good from me, but not my own mother.

At least it is something really nice. Some of the poor folks who were victims of my early knitting years, eagerly opening up their packages, only to be disappointed at the "homemade" gift item they received, are probably wishing they got what my mom got - a super soft scarf in a wavy pattern.

You can clearly see the difference between the unblocked and blocked scarf. There was a brief "oh no!" moment after I washed it and laid it out to dry. The yarn really stretched out and felt limp and lifeless. Even after gently manipulating it back into shape, it still didn't have the loft of the unblocked version. But it fluffed up a little when completely dry, and it still came out beautifully.

Pattern: #32 Wavy Pattern Scarf by Charlotte Quiggle from Vogue Knitting Spring/Summer 2005
Yarn: (2) skeins Malabrigo Silky Merino, Madre Perla
Needle: Denise US#6
New Technique Learned: Tubular Cast On/Off

Best Bzz Ever Part II

2008-05-06T14:17:00.001-07:00

Harmony One remote
Originally uploaded by knitterj

A few months ago, I blogged about a sample product I received from BzzAgent as being the Bzz ever. Well, today I think that title now goes to this - the Harmony One remote.

My husband nearly wet his pants when he found out I was getting this for free. Normally, he would be the one setting this up, but I think in the true spirit of being a Bzz agent, I will attempt to do it myself. Yikes! Wish me luck....

Foodie Fight

2008-03-27T18:36:00.001-07:00

Foodie Fight
Originally uploaded by knitterj

I love trivia games. I love food. So when I first saw Foodie Fight at our local grocery store's gift section, I really wanted it. But ol' Donny Downer (aka my husband) said we'd pick it up on the next trip. Of course, it was never seen again, and totally impossible to find online since it was just before the holidays.

I did not give up, no sir. Finally, finally today I received it in the mail! I am so excited to test my culinary knowledge, since I've been a self-proclaimed foodie since waaaay before the term foodie.

Souvenirs, novelties, party tricks...

2008-02-18T15:22:00.000-08:00

Well, yesterday was my 35th birthday, but since I'm still recovering from a bad encounter with a fish (he apparently didn't like me eating him), I've been resting up at home. And yeah, it's rough being home after a week in Hawaii!

My husband baked me a pink cake!

I got a new phone, preloaded with a pic of my little girl!

And I got a dressform!

We didn't go too overboard with the souvenirs, but I just had to get this cool pineapple shaped wooden bowl. Also purchased (but not in the pic) were a couple boxes of Original Hawaiian Chocolate, which we visited on our trip - a very interesting and tasty tour. Also highly recommended is the VIP coffee tour conducted by Mountain Thunder. This was the best Kona coffee we tasted, and the people are really nice!

Sushi for Dogs

2008-01-26T16:30:00.000-08:00

I'm the first to admit that we live sad suburban lives. However, every once in a while a good thing comes along that makes it worth it. Last night, a Friday night mind you, we tried to go out to dinner. The place we chose had a really long wait line, so what did we do? Yup, we went shopping at Target and decided to pick up a pizza on the way home. So sad. So very sad.

BUT, whilst passing by the pet section at Target, I scanned the toy area (which I always do because the puppy likes to destroy them in a millisecond). There were a few cute Valentine's Day toys, but then... this caught my eye and I squealed with delight:

Yes, folks, it's a Shrimp Sushi plush dog toy, with squeakers in each shrimp! I love how they used berber fleece on the underside for the "rice". Genious!

Holiday Summary

2008-01-06T18:07:00.000-08:00

It was a long and crazy busy holiday season, and so much happened that I just didn't have time to stop and blog about it. I'm sure I wasn't alone. Instead of trying to discuss in detail all the (mostly) wonderful things that transpired, I've decided to list a summary of the highlights, the more noteworthy events, if you will.

*Redecorating my office. Painted the walls a spring green, with one contrasting wall of petal pink. It looks like a little girl's room, but I think it makes for a really cheery craft room. I'm still in the process of getting some finishing touches, new lamps and whatnot, so I'll post a pic when it's officially done.

*Reaching a point where we can make a trip to IKEA, get what we need in less than hour, and not feel compelled to snarf down a plate of meatballs.

*Watching Roomba do my chores for me. I finally wised up and got one of these! I'm surprised it works as well as it does, but I only wish it could somehow go up the stairs, clean the toilets, start and fold my laundry, and cook me some dinner.

*Admiring my new Kitchenaid coffee grinder next to my existing array of Kitchenaid products - food processor, stand mixer, and blender, none of which are the same color. I have coordination issues.

*Doing a side by side comparison of regular vs. European style butter in baked goods by making 2 batches of __ tea cakes. I'll let you fill in the blank with whatever name you go by for these yummy cookies - Russian, Mexican, wedding, who cares... they're good! BTW, the European butter tasted better, was more tender, but was a total bitch to work with (so fragile coming out of the oven that it was really hard to toss them in the powdered sugar without them breaking!).

*Hosting the family at our house for a holiday dinner for the first time. We're all growns up now! The in-laws brought my favorite Christmas treat, the Yule Log from Baker and Spice.

*Fondling my Handmaiden Camelspin and Lady Godiva yarns, which came along with a new Lexie Barnes bag.

*Tasting something new and "interesting" - tomato flavored Japanese candy. Since I don't read Japanese, I went by the picture on the package and thought it was apple. I do not recommend this product, unless you have a thing for ketchup/tomato paste in candy form.

*Lovin' my new sticky notes.

*Last but not least, my favorite highlight: Snow on Christmas day! Yes, I love every opportunity I get to complain about the fact that I was told this was a rare occurence. While very, very cold, snow does make for a pretty side effect of mind-numbingly chilly weather. This was Fergie's first encounter with the white stuff, so of course, like any good parent, we whipped out the camera and took some shots as well as a short video. She loved the snow, and didn't quite get why we thought she needed the jacket - she thought the temperature was fine!

Then it was big brother Gibson's turn to head out. He's much more of a puss when it comes to the cold, so he has a nice thick puffer jacket on. You look pretty bad ass, dude.

Best Bzz so far!

2007-11-30T15:46:00.000-08:00

I've been a BzzAgent for about a year and a half, and I've test-driven everything from candy bars to tequila, steam bags to tooth whiteners. But I tell ya, the latest campaign is the best one so far. They actually sent me the Sonicare toothbrush sanitizer! Since I'm a total and complete germaphobe, this was like Christmas. Now, I realize that you can't really know if it's working or not, but it can't make it any more germy, right?

The use of UV light as a sanitizer isn't very common here in the US, but I remember it being used in Japan when I visited about 10 years ago. My mom and I were at a temple in Kyoto, and there was some famous waterfall or something there. I think it was believed to have healing properties or something, because everyone waited in line to use a long-handled cup to scoop up some of the water to drink. I remember feeling grossed out about using a public drinking vessel, but my mom told me that the cups are santized with a UV light. I thought she was full of crap, just dishing out some crazy Japanese story so that I'd move a little faster through the line. Damn it, I guess she was right again.

Elfin' away

2007-11-27T10:36:00.000-08:00

I've been busy crankin' out the Christmas ornaments, and I think I've reached my limit for now. Here's what I've done so far. If I were a smarter picture-taker, I would have thrown in something like a quarter to aid in the visual gauge. The stockings measure about 6" from top to toe. Go from there.

As you can tell, I really enjoyed making the stockings. I was overjoyed to find the pattern written flat (vs in the round, which most sock patterns are), since I despise double pointed needles. Once I started, I couldn't stop making them! I literally went one after another and every few hours I would hold up another one for my husband and dogs to admire. I think they stopped being impressed, and I ran out of designs for the top, so I'm taking a break from them to concentrate on other things.

I started working on Oblique from knitty, because I'm in desperate need of warm sweaters to wear around the house. It isn't even December yet and they're thinking it might snow on Friday! I'm seriously pissed about this. I knew Oregon was rainy, but I was told it was a rare occasion that it snowed in the metro area. It has snowed every winter since I've lived here, and it's been getting colder earlier in the season as the years go on too. WTF?!!!! Is this some sick punishment for all us Californians moving in or what? Anyhow, this is the time of year that the complaint meter shoots into overdrive. My husband is aware of this, so he puts up with my endless rants and general sour demeanor during the November-March months. And he better, too, because he's the one who told me all of these lies ('when I was a kid, it only snowed every other year, and it usually melted before it hit the ground...'). Uh huh. Sure. LIES!!!

Perks

2007-11-08T17:16:00.001-08:00

110807_1253b.jpg
Originally uploaded by mccun934

One of the wonderful things about having a husband that works from home, is that once in a while (like, twice a year) I can convince him to play hooky and take me out to lunch. I had been wanting to try the restaurant at the cooking school in Portland, because I totally support anyone who wants to learn how to make good food, and it doesn't hurt that it's hella cheap!

I totally forgot to take pics of our first 3 courses, but here's what I had:

*Herb ricotta gnocchi with chanterelle mushrooms and brown butter
*Frisee salad with pears, red onions, hazelnuts, and blue cheese
*Braised pork cheeks with braised greens and root vegetable puree
*Lemon meringue tart

The meal exceeded my expectations, and I'm still jonesin' for the gnocchi, which was really fantastic. They change the menu every 10 weeks, and we're already planning on our next visit!

Scrunch (the scarf, not the monkey)

2007-11-07T14:17:00.000-08:00

If you are a fan of the Ratchet and Clank video game series, then you will know what I mean by monkey. If not, no biggee. Let's move on to the knitting, shall we?

Over the weekend, I was poking around my yarn stash. I do this every so often because I find that I always uncover something that I had long forgotten about. When this happens, it's like I suddenly got new yarn and if I'm lucky, it'll be something that inspires me to make something out of it. This scenario is exactly what transpired on Sunday.

In a plastic bag, which was inside a plastic box, which was under a bunch of packing boxes, I found a pre-wound skein of Merino Bulky from handpaintedyarn.com. I've had this yarn in my stash for over 2 years now, and it suddenly called to me. I'd forgotten how freakin' soft it is! Once I squeezed it, and felt how, well, "scrunchie" it is, I knew I wanted to make a scarf out of it.

So, on to Ravelry I went, searching for the perfect pattern that would really marry well with the cushiness of the yarn. Lo and behold, I found the Scrunchable Scarf pattern. It's amazing how a simple 3-stitch pattern can result in such a neat looking (and feeling) fabric!

I used US 10 needles, slipped the first stitch (extra selvedge) of each row, and voila! A 3"x60" super-soft scarf!

And if you're wondering why I'm not busy with all those Christmas ornaments I said I'd make... well, I decided not to make them out of the STR. I just couldn't! The yarn is so pretty and I just couldn't convince myself that the colors were Christmasy enough. I really feel that it would be better as a scarf or shawl. No, not socks. I hate knitting socks. We don't need to go over that again. BUT, I have another idea cookin' and I'm just waiting for the yarn to show up and we'll be on our way toward holiday cheer.

Happy Halloween from Gibson and Fergie!

2007-10-31T16:45:00.000-07:00

Fergie as Princess Leia, hair buns and all... and Gibson as Darth Vader (he refused to have the mask come all the way down his face).

Goodbyes and good bread

2007-10-22T15:52:00.000-07:00

Since I haven't blogged in forever, I figured I'd start off with a pretty picture. This is in Utah, where we went a few weeks ago to say goodbye to my husband's grandfather, who passed away. As you can see, it was a gorgeous fall day in Salt Lake, and this is the spot where grandpa's ashes will be spread.

It's fascinating how you learn so much about someone after they're gone. It made me think about what a private person I am, and all the things that people will find out about me later on. Though, if my husband and I go at the same, I don't think my eulogy will be very accurate because no one knows me as well as he does!

Speaking of Mike, and to segue to another topic, he is taking a stab at learning how to bake bread. A few months ago, we met up with Brian Spangler of Apizza Scholls, who gave us a very informative demonstration on the basics of making pizza dough (and dough in general). I was very good and took notes, and immediately went home and bought the two books he recommended - Crust and Crumb, and The Bread Baker's Apprentice, both by Peter Reinhart. After flipping through them, I realized that this type of thing is more up Mike's alley than mine - I really don't get math and chemistry all that much. Yeah, yeah, I know... I'm Asian and I'm supposed to be like some genius and all, but I'm really more life-smart than book-smart.

So I handed the books over to Mikey, who was immediately drawn to the process. He was actually reading the books while we were watching TV! Now, if you know us, you know that we LOVES our TV shows. Not only that, but he doesn't even really know how to cook. He couldn't wait to make his first bread (or baked food item, for that matter)! It was a 2-day process, but he managed to turn out 3 small loaves. They were supposed to be ciabatta, but it wasn't holey enough. Still, an admirable attempt and totally edible bread!

And in knitting news, I was so delighted to see the Christmas ball ornaments in the Holiday 2007 issue of Vogue Knitting. I immediately fell in love with the stripey one made with Blue Moon's Socks that Rock in Jingle Bell Rock. Since we now have a very curious puppy in our household, I've been wondering what we'll do at Christmas. I usually hang about 100 glass ball ornaments on our tree, but I don't think they'll go up this year. Knitted ornaments seem more puppy-friendly than glass.

I went to Farmhouse Knit shop to get the yarn, but they didn't have that colorway, so after debating about it, I ended up getting a skein of Carbon instead. I know it's not very Christmas-y, but it might look festive enough. I was going to whip up a few and see how it goes. If I think I can do more without getting sick of it, then I might order the yarn online. You think I can knit up 100 Christmas ornaments? Yeah, I don't think so either...

Swallow this!

2007-09-01T09:45:00.000-07:00

I'm totally amazed at how fast I was able to finish this one. It's the Swallowtail Shawl from Interweave Knits. Only took me a little over a week to do, not counting the blocking. I'm so glad I was able to make something productive out of the Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock yarn I originally bought to make the Boteh Scarf. I really thought I could like crochet, but it just looks so yucky to me. So, I went back to knitting and had to find something besides socks to knit with this yarn (since I HATE knitting socks). Yeah, I know, there are all you sock freaks out there and it's great that you love it. But it is the only thing in knitdom that I don't enjoy. I could go into detail as to all the reasons why, but it's not that exciting.

Back to the project, I say! Here it is, on my new IKEA table no less!

If anyone is interested, this is colorway #107, Red Rover. And yes, nupps are evil but I did the 5-stitch nupps called for in the pattern. Thankfully, I knit Continental so I was able to hold the YOs and Knit stitches in place using my right index finger, keeping them nice and loose for the dreaded Purl-5tog on the WS. And I used a size US #5 needle.

So part of the reason I had all this time to knit is because our little girl got spayed last week, so I've been hanging out with her and watching the first week of tennis at the US Open. To keep the dog from licking their wound, they sent us home with this E-collar. We were glad it wasn't the hard plastic kind because it's so irritating for the dog (and therefore, us). But the soft E-collar has it's disadvantages. For one thing, it gets destroyed very easily! I wouldn't even say that Fergie is a fussy dog, but man, her E-collar was ripped up and coming apart at the seams by the end of the second day. So what do her parents do? Yeah, that's right - the good ol' American fix to many household problems... duct tape.

I just had to share the dichotomy between her cute fluffiness and the horrible, ugly duct tape patches all over her giant lampshade/sombrero/lizard hood.

I'm busy...

2007-08-28T16:31:00.000-07:00

...and lazy! I've been slackin' on the blogging lately, but I have some good excuses, really! We went to Boise for my sister-in-law's wedding. It was up on the mountains above Boise at Bogus Basin. The color of the sky at night was incredible.

We stayed in downtown Boise, though, so we had to make the 45-50 minute trek up the hill on the very zigzaggy road every day. It was quite nauseating... literally. But the view was worth it, and I also liked staying in town. Wouldn't you know it, there was a cute yarn store right next to our hotel! I picked up a couple balls of Jaeger Silk yarn after seeing the store display of the Shetland Triangle shawl from Wrap Style. Gorgeous!

The weekend before, we met up with Brian of Apizza Scholls in Portland. He generously invited us to come into his kitchen and watch him make dough. Like a total food nerd, I took notes. I've been dying to take another stab at the homemade pizza, but we've been so busy lately that I haven't had the chance. Brian's advice was so helpful and informative, and he even gave us a lovely (and tasty) parting gift! Thanks again, Brian. :)

Notty knitting

2007-08-10T11:33:00.001-07:00

Notting hill closeup
Originally uploaded by knitterj

Here's a taste of the Notting Hill vest I'm currently working on. It's done in Rowan Yorkshire Tweed Aran, in the color Thorny. It looks very brown in this pic, but really it is a dark mossy green-brown.

I decided to do a cable project (after my short moment of lace-obsession), because I haven't done it in a while. Unless you consider the pattern in Cherry a cable, of course.

Not much else is new besides this. Tonight we're heading out for dinner to celebrate my husband's cousin's birthday, then tomorrow morning we're going to get a first-hand look at how pizza dough is made at Apizza Scholls. I can't wait!

Then next weekend we're off to Boise to see my husband's sister get married. I'm already planning on restarting the Boteh Scarf that failed miserably during my Europe trip. I didn't know about the errata then, so after 3 repeats I realized that something was really wrong but didn't know what (it couldn't be me!). It went back into the Ziploc for the rest of the trip and I worked exclusively on Cherry. Good thing all the airports allowed knitting needles onboard! Well, "allow" might be a strong word... they just didn't do anything about it. If anyone is curious about this, I carried on bamboo needles through Portland, Chicago, Manchester UK, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Paris Orly, Nice, and London Heathrow. Damn, that was a lot of airports!

Backyard Leaves

2007-08-01T16:15:00.001-07:00

Backyard Leaves
Originally uploaded by knitterj

It's not exactly scarf weather here right now, but I've been in a lace-pattern mood lately. After finishing the Branching Out scarf, I was left wanting more!

So I started Backyard Leaves, which I've tried to knit like a gajillion times over the last 2 years. I've been picky about the way I wanted the fabric to look and feel like. All the wools I tried just didn't do it for me. I specifically picked out this Classic Elite Classic Silk yarn at the Lint GOOB sale for this project, hoping that a cotton blend would produce the desired effect.

I knew after the first pattern repeat that it was exactly what I had waited for! The silk gives it a lot of drape, while the cotton keeps it all sturdy and stitch-defined. Of course, it will need a lot of blocking - this pic shows the bottom part of the scarf pressed down with my slightly sweaty palms. Yeah, as gross as that sounds, it's the truth. It's like 92 degrees today, which in Oregon temps is like 192.

Huckleberries are here!

2007-07-28T17:24:00.001-07:00

huckleberry 001
Originally uploaded by knitterj

I've been keeping my eyes peeled for these every week, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the huckleberry. These little buggers are so easy to miss, because it's almost like some secret that no one really wants to talk about. I guess it's a good thing, though, because they are apparently hard to come by - they only grow wild and are hard to harvest.

We just happened to be at City Market today, passing by to grab a sandwich for lunch, when I saw what I thought was the prized huckleberry. Since I only have last summer's memory of them to go by, I wasn't sure if they were indeed them. There was no sign to tell me, just a few pint-boxes of shiny dark berries in the produce isle. We had to ask the guy working there if they were indeed huckleberries, and when he said 'yes' I darted right over to grab one as if they were going to sell out instantly after it became known. Not a bad price either, $3.99/pint. I think last year at the Portland Farmer's Market we paid $8.00 for a bag, which I think was a pint.

If you've never had huckleberries, the closest description I can give is that they're like a cross between a blueberry and a cranberry, though some of them can taste raisin-y. We get a lot of berries here in the NW, and I just love following them through the season. It's random stuff like the huckleberry that make a crazed foodie like me happy to live where I do.

It's a sad day

2007-07-20T13:39:00.000-07:00

...when a yarn store closes. This morning I went to say goodbye to one of my favorite yarn stores, lint. Today was the first day of their closing sale, so I headed over there bright and early (10am). ;-)

I got there just after opening, and it was already full to capacity, so I had to wait outside until someone left. Shortly after I arrived, a line started forming behind me. After about 10 minutes, I was let in. Everything in the store was 30% off. I wanted to buy it all, but I had to refrain myself. My husband gave me a ride over there and was going to come help me carry yarn. And also keep me from overspending. I'm glad he came, because they ran out of baskets so he helped a lot by acting as shopping cart. My hands were then free to fondle and squish as much yarn as I could.

Here's what I ended up getting:

6 skeins of Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece in Dark Khaki Green, 4 skeins of Blue Sky Alpacas Suri Merino in Harvest (dark yellow), 3 balls of Classic Elite Classic Silk in Moss green, 1 ball of Rowan Felted Tweed in Carbon, and 1 ball of Rowan Felted Tweed in Midnight.

Reunited...

2007-07-19T16:06:00.001-07:00

branching out2
Originally uploaded by knitterj

and it feels so good! I really missed knitting with wool. I haven't worked with it since the Eli projects, and even then it was Wool/Cotton. I know, the Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece has some wool in it, too. But it really behaves like a cotton so it doesn't count.

I'm currently working on the Branching Out scarf, using Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool. I've been dying to use this yarn ever since I got it at the Knitting Bee Super Bowl Sunday sale. I used to go over to it and just squeeze it.

Now I've got it on the needles, and I love this yarn! I'm a big fan of tweedy yarns, and although this isn't a true tweed, it does have that kind of effect with all the silk nubbins. Note to self: get more Silky Wool!

Ribbit

2007-07-18T11:49:00.001-07:00

Ribbit
Originally uploaded by knitterj

Do you ever have one of those days when nothing you knit works out? Here's my collection of failed projects.

I tried knitting the Flower Basket Shawl with Knit Picks Alpaca Cloud, but I didn't like the way it was looking. I know, it will look different after it's blocked, but I dunno... it was just too holey and it didn't have enough stitch definition for me.

Next up was the Backyard Leaves scarf. Years ago, I bought some Laines du Nord Dolly Maxi for this project. At the time, I thought the yarn was just not performing well for this pattern. The yarn was becoming untwisted and splitty, and the whole thing was puffy and springy. I don't know why, but I thought it was like wine - getting better with age. It didn't.

I also tried it using some Debbie Bliss Merino DK (the other green, sloppy pile in the picture). This was better in terms of the yarn performance, but I just wasn't happy with the stitch definition. I want to see those darn leaves! I'm thinking that this scarf, for me, is begging for a lighter colored yarn so that the pattern really shows.

Then for some totally asinine reason, I dug up some Koigu I had in my stash and started the Wavy Pattern scarf from Vogue Knitting. What was I thinking?! First of all, I really don't like knitting with dark yarn. Brown's about as dark as I'll go, and this stuff is almost black. Second, I'm just not a fan of this yarn. I know everyone and their mother loves this stuff, but I find it too elastic and I don't like the bumpy texture.

So, back to square one. I'm currently working on the Branching Out scarf from Knitty, the DK version, using some Silky Wool I had in my stash. So far, I can't find anything to complain about, so I think this one might be a winner. I'll work a few more inches before posting a pic and an update.

Pizza update

2007-07-17T10:49:00.000-07:00

As promised, yesterday we went for Round 2 of the quest for perfect homemade pizza. We used the remaining 3 balls of dough that had now been sitting in the fridge for 3 days. Aside from that, the only other modification we made on this batch was that we let the dough rest for about 15-20 minutes after shaping, before putting it on the grill for the par-bake. Oh, and I also kept it covered under plastic wrap during that time.

I don't think either of those factors made much of a difference. Here's the second pizza (the first was eaten before I could get a pic):

As you can see, we decided to put meat on this one. It's the bulk Basil Chicken sausage from New Seasons, accompanied by some goat cheese and arugula from the Beaverton Farmer's Market.

In case anyone is interested, this is what the pizza dough looks like after it's been par-baked. This is the point where you'd put your toppings on. Quick! The poor thing's all naked and vulnerable...

The final pizza we made took advantage of the remaining sausage. There was quite a bit left, so I loving called this one "The Meatzza". We both agreed that these were much tastier than the first batch of pies, but then again, these had meat on them!

And since I'm such a carb-o-holic, I also made Earl Grey Biscotti. It doesn't taste as strong as I'd like, but that won't stop me from eating them!

Pizza anyone?

2007-07-15T11:05:00.000-07:00

It's a great time for food in Oregon right now. Since it rains so damn much here, there's a lot of agriculture - which means awesome farmer's markets. Which means it's also an excellent time to cash in our anniversary present from my in-laws.

They are friends with a chef, so they are having him cook us up a gourmet meal at my in-laws house. Yeah, it's a little delayed (our anniversary was in March), but I'm sure it will be well worth the wait. On Friday, we all met up to discuss the menu. We started off talking about 4 courses, but things kept getting added and I think we ended up with more like 7 and possibly 8 courses on the menu! I can't wait for next Saturday!

But let's get back to more recent endeavors. On Friday (prior to the meet-up with Chef Karl), I made a batch of pizza dough using the SAF yeast, and letting it do a slow fermentation in the fridge overnight. Then on Saturday, we went for it and fired up the grill with the pizza stone on it for about 45 minutes.

Chef Karl suggested that we par-bake the crust for a minute or two, then add the toppings. This allowed us to easily slide the raw pizza dough onto the stone, without the weight of all the toppings to hinder a good swift action. This turned out to be an excellent tip, but still our first pizza ended up burned on the bottom.

I think we left it on too long during the par-bake, and also the stone was super hot! It's like pancakes or crepes - you always throw out the first one, right?

So, on to pizza #2. Oh, and btw, these are not big pizzas, about 9" round. Pizza #2 I had a good feeling about. I laid the crust out thinner and more evenly, and Mike par-baked it just until it would hold its shape. This guy got the addition of mozzarella slices. Here it is on the stone, in the grill:

Ahh, yummy pizza...

And the crust held up to the weight of the toppings!

Although this pizza performed well, it was still missing that certain je ne sais quoi. Though sturdy, it wasn't exactly cracker-like, but it also wasn't soft and pillowy. It could have been a bit more tender and chewy, but then wouldn't it just flop over like a wet noodle? Hmmm, we have Round 2 coming up on Monday, so we'll see if perhaps resting the dough after shaping it will yield better results.

Baker's secret

2007-07-11T14:18:00.001-07:00

saf instant yeast
Originally uploaded by knitterj

We love pizza - who doesn't? Ever since we discovered the pure joy of indulging in a pie from Apizza Scholls in Portland, we realized how bad all the previous pizzas we'd ever had really were.

Unfortunately, making the trek to Apizza Scholls isn't very convenient. Or perhaps I should say it is fortunate - since we'd be eating there way too often! We're determined, as an alternative, to try our hand at making our own pizzas from scratch.

This had been an ongoing experiment for years, but we never took it seriously until now. There have been days when we're jonesin' for pizza and we know that everything near our house is crap and all we want is Apizza Scholls. But the distance between us, coupled with the very long wait times if you don't show up early (and the threat that they could run out of dough!), keeps us from indulging in their pies.

So we said to ourselves, why can't we make our own perfect pizza? Yeah, easier said than done. After researching this online, it was instantly clear that we had no idea what we were getting into. Apparently, the key ingredient in most "real" bread baking is a special brand of yeast - SAF Instant.

We called around the 2 Whole Foods, the gourmet food purveyor in the Pearl, etc. No one carried this. I read in a local food forum that Cash & Carry, a place I'd never even heard of, had it. But they were in Portland so I'd have to wait until the weekend when we had more time.

Then, by pure happen-stance, I found the magical ingredient at WinCo of all places. This is another grocery store I'd never been to, but I was there looking for something else (which they didn't have), and in my search I happened to pass by the spices section and out of the corner of my eye I saw the red-labeled 1-lb. bag I'd been coveting. I did a double-take, stopped in my tracks, backed up into my husband who was walking behind me, and said 'oh my god!'. He noticed it too and said the same thing.

After commenting on how funny it was that this budget-conscious store carried such a prized possession, we immediately headed over to the kitchen supply store to get a food scale, yet another item for serious bakers. I of course insisted on the pink one.

Another day in the wine country

2007-07-02T11:14:00.001-07:00

Rowan Yorkshire Tweed DK
Originally uploaded by knitterj

It was such a beautiful day on Saturday that we decided to head out to the wine country. Of course, I suggested a stop by Woodland Woolworks in Carlton. They were giving an extra 10% off all their clearance yarn, so why not have a look-see?

I started out with a lot more yarn in my bag, but after 45 minutes (yes, I have a very patient husband) I decided that I just really wanted more Yorkshire Tweed DK. I wanted to make another Electra vest, since I love my first one, only this time in a brown version. This will be a fall project, though, because it is going to hit the 90s soon. Yay!

As usual, we had lunch at Dundee Bistro. We actually tried to eat at our other favorite place, Red Hills Provincial Dining, but they weren't open for lunch. I had a very unusual interpretation of Coq au Vin that was really yummy, and we both had a glass of the 2005 Lange Reserve Pinot Noir - really, really yummy.

When I got home, I received an email from the folks over at Lint, one of my favorite yarn stores, located in the Pearl. Apparently, it is up for sale. I sooo wish I had the money to buy a yarn store, particularly one that I already like! But alas, I must remain a simple consumer.

Sneak Peek Sundress

2007-06-29T15:32:00.001-07:00

Striped Sundress
Originally uploaded by knitterj

Now that I've completed the Short sleeve eyelet lace cardigan, I'm thinking about what to work on next. My fingers have been yearning for wool, since my last 2 projects have been with cotton. But I feel obligated to knit with cotton since it's summer, in spite of the fact that it's still raining here in Oregon. Yeah.

Until I figure out what my next "real" project will be, I had to work on something because Wimbledon started this week, and I need to keep my fingers busy during the 9 hours/day of coverage. I tried to resist the cotton, but I had these balls of Knit Picks Shine in my stash that really cheered me up and made me make-believe that it was a sunny summer day (somewhere, at least). So my between-projects project is the Sundress from Adorable Knits for Tots.

Oh, and in my search for a new project I discovered that Phildar is having a sale on some of their yarns and magazines. I was able to get 2 magazines for just over 15 euros - that's with shipping! I originally had some yarn in my order, but the shipping was so obscene I couldn't justify the cost. I'm hoping that with the English versions of the patterns, I'll be able to better translate the 3 French Phildar mags I got in Paris.

Stockinette slump

2007-06-15T11:44:00.001-07:00

lacycardi
Originally uploaded by knitterj

Ever since I saw Action Hero's version of the short sleeve lacy cardigan from Vogue Knitting spring/summer 2007, I knew I wanted to make one myself. I breezed through the lace portions, but the stockinette on the back is so mind-numbing that I have spent weeks trying to complete it.

I'm about 2/3 of the way done with the back, but I just can't seem to get past the hurdle and I'm thinking of starting something else, just to give me a break from the monotony. However, as is typical with me, there is a good chance I'll never get back to finishing it. So, for now I'm just trudging along and finishing the darn thing.

On the brighter side, I've just been granted access to Ravelry and I am so stoked! It was a great excuse to upgrade my flickr account, so that I can upload and organize all my photos which are scattered all over the place. It's going to take me a long time to get everything set up the way I want, so my account is very much a work in progress. But a fun work, because I've been wanting to organize my stuff for so long but never had a tool that could do it all. Thanks Ravelry!

Help Wanted: Finishing Fairy

2007-06-03T19:53:00.001-07:00

cherry 001
Originally uploaded by knitterj

I'm amazed that I actually completed something, since I have been so busy keeping my eye on that little stinker that keeps chewing on anything and everything, including electrical cords!

This is the Cherry sweater that I worked on while I was in Europe. Nothing like Rowan Calmer gliding through your fingers to keep you (as the name says) calm during long-haul flights! I don't know why, but I absolutely hate sewing on buttons. As you can see, I am declaring this an FO in spite of the fact that it doesn't yet have its buttons on. I'm hoping the finishing fairy will stop by, but I know that won't happen. There is no excuse either, because I even have the buttons that will go on there! I just hate sewing buttons. End of story.

Oh, and I could also use a dressform, because I don't think sweaters look all that great laying flat. Yeah, I could model it for everyone, but I can't stand self-portraits and my husband takes the most unflattering photos...

Puppy!

2007-05-23T08:55:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, we picked up our new baby, ~~Ripley~~ Fergie. She is a 13-week old sable Sheltie from Wintercreek Shelties.

She is quite the bundle of energy! Even though we are totally exhausted, we are having so much fun seeing her learn, grow, and play. She has picked up on so much in just a few days - it's incredible!

I gotta give props to our very patient 9-year old hound, Gibson, for showing her the ropes and letting her bark and nip at him. Sorry, Gibs - it'll get better (I hope!).

Bonjour!

2007-05-02T08:19:00.000-07:00

Wow, it is really hard to sum up 2 weeks of vacation in one blog post, but I'll try to stick to the highlights. The weather was gorgeous the entire trip... not a single drop of rain, not even in the UK! Paris is so pretty that I couldn't choose a single photo that would do it justice, so like everyone else, I settled on this pic of the Eiffel Tower lit up at night. The light show was very twinkly and bordering on seizure-inducing. Fun!

Since we decided to boycott museums in favor of shopping, eating, and living like a local, I have lots of great memories of the stores and all the shopkeepers we spoke with (sort of). The only "out of the way" place I wanted to visit was the Phildar store. Since I wanted to check out their clothing line, we went to the store located on Rue Monge in the 5th, the closest to our apartment. It turned out to be a very small store, but I still managed to buy a sweater and a top, as well as a pack of yarn and 3 magazines.

At checkout, I noticed a book behind the counter and quickly translated it in my head. I grabbed the camera to capture the moment, in spite of the confused look from the shopkeeper. I'm not sure she really understood why we thought this was so funny:

Here's what the Phildar store's yarn section looked like. Very claustrophobic, but luckily I was the only person shopping there. I was worried when I saw that they only had a few balls of each color of yarn out on the floor, but the nice lady came over and said if I like a color, she would look in the "derriere" to see if they had more. I thought that was funny.

I can't tell you how much I loved Paris! I was so glad I could put my 3 years of high school French to good use, because it really came in handy. Here's what the main boulevard near our apartment looked like. I'm nostalgic already!

Our next stop was Monaco. I was stunned at how gorgeous it is there. I mean, really, check out the view from our hotel room:

We were only there 2 nights, to watch the final tennis match of the Monte Carlo Open. I was so stoked that Federer and Nadal ended up playing. I actually think I wet myself a little. Shhh, don't tell anyone...

After a very interesting flight from Nice to London, where I sat next to a very loud British woman who reeked of gin (and ordered 2 more on the plane), our luck continued as we ended up with the most insane taxi driver in all of London. Of course, we didn't know this at the time, but looking back on all the rides we took over the 3 days, he definitely wins the award.

One of the places we visited was the Churchill Museum/Cabinet War Rooms. Yeah, sounds like a real party huh? Well, I figured I owed my husband one for going with me to the Phildar store in Paris. But, in a surprise twist, this trip actually involved yarn - Churchill and his men used the various colored yarns to draw lines on their maps. Crafty!

Speaking of crafty, I will now show off all the knit- and craft- related items I brought home with me! As mentioned, I went to one of the many Phildar stores in Paris, and I also hit the craft section at Le Bon Marche, which was right around the corner from our apartment I might add.

I also went to La Droguerie, located near Les Halles, which was a feast for the eyes! I was intimidated at first, because you have to ask the shopworkers to help you with what you want. They have their buttons and various adornments on display up on the wall, and you have to show them what you want and how many, etc. Again, high school French saved me! I was able to stumble my way through their language to get what I wanted, and the ladies there met me halfway with a few words of English.

Lastly, I hit the "Sewing and Haberdashery" section of House of Fraser in Manchester. They were having a spring sale, and everything was 20% off, including all the Rowan yarn. Since this was the final day of our 2-week trip, I didn't have a single bit of space left in my luggage - I had already used the expander! So, I had to pass it all up and instead I bought a bunch of buttons (lower left corner of the pic). I was actually quite pleased with this, because all I have near my house is JoAnn, and I think their buttons are boring.

And for the record, I was able to get through security and take both my crochet hook and my knitting needles onboard all my flights. I flew from Portland, Oregon (PDX) to Chicago (ORD) to Manchester, UK (MAN) to Paris, France (CDG); Paris Orly (ORY) to Nice, France (NCE); Nice (NCE) to London Heathrow (LHR); Manchester, UK back through Chicago to Portland. The needles were US #7 bamboo circs, and I worked on Cherry by Anna Bell using Rowan Calmer.

I had the needles in a ziploc bag in my carry-on, placed near the top (in case they wanted to take it out), and along the side of the bag so it blended in more with the structure of the bag. My bag was actually pulled aside and opened up by security in Nice, France. The woman rifled through all my stuff, and didn't think twice about the knitting. She asked me in French if I had face cream. I guess they are more concerned with the whole 'liquids and gels' thing. In England, they either didn't see the needles, or didn't care. My bag went through security just fine, both times, with no further inspection.

Whew! I think that's all (for now)! I have so many wonderful memories of this trip. We both felt it was the best trip either of us had been on. It was worth waiting 5 years for - I can't wait to see what we do for our 10-year anniversary!

Trippin' wit yarn

2007-04-10T13:49:00.000-07:00

I've been researching the various "rules" about knitting on airplanes, particularly on flights through the UK, since we're flying through Manchester, England. The airport's security website specifically lists knitting needles on the banned items list.

I debated knitting on the way to Manchester, then dumping my knitting needles while transferring to our flight to Paris, but I just couldn't bear the thought of throwing away perfectly good needles. So, I've resigned to crocheting instead, since there is no mention of crochet hooks as a banned item.

I generally don't like crocheting that much, and I think knitted goods look better, but I kinda liked this pattern in the latest Interweave Crochet (Spring 2007), called the Boteh Scarf. It has a nice wavy flow about it, contrary to the usual stiff look that I see in crochet.

I would prefer a solid color, as in the pattern, but my LYS only had variegated colors of the Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock. I went with this one, Red Rover, because it has the most similarly colored colors in it. And I like red. I hope the security personnel at the Manchester airport also approve. ;)

And of course, I have to have some good knitting on hand for when we're not on a plane. I just got this pack of Jaeger Trinity in Water on sale on eBay, and I'm a fan of this yarn. I wasn't sure if I'd like it, but I do!

I was thinking of trying a second attempt at knitting Cherry. I knit almost all of this sweater last year using Frog Tree pima silk, but it was too small so I ripped it out. I still love this pattern, and I also love knitting things that have an all-over pattern on them (keeps things interesting). I'm going to swatch this tonight to see if I want to proceed.

Lastly, if you're still paying attention, I have to say that I'm so excited to visit the Phildar stores in Paris! I plan on coming back with a fair amount of yarn, but if you check out their website, you'll see that they also carry really cute clothes. What more could a girl ask for?!

Calm down

2007-04-05T10:42:00.000-07:00

With the BIG Europe trip coming up, it's been a very stressful time around here. Nothing better to soothe the soul than Rowan Calmer. I've been working on Elspeth from Magazine #37. The knitting was very fast, and thankfully I didn't run into much confusion over the lace pattern because I read up on the problems others had. Do a little research first, and you'll be fine.

The part that's taking me forever is the crochet edging. I really am not having a good time with this, but I like that it is helping the edges from curling. In order to speed up the process, I'm doing the picots with 2 sc (dc in UK-speak) in between. Since it's not done yet, I'm only offering a partial picture of it.

Now that I'm totally addicted to knitting with Calmer, I ordered more of it in the same color, Laurel, which I love. This is on sale at eBay, though I think it's running out fast. I went to my LYS to pick up the Calmer Collection book, and I also got Lace Style for kicks.

Oh, and we had a nice time in Vegas last week, but our pics are so incredibly dark and generally bad that it's not worth sharing. Suffice it to say, the Four Seasons ROCKS and the staff is so amazingly wonderful. Also notable - our 7 course meal with wine pairing at Aureole was excellent!

Knittin' for Eli

2007-02-26T23:30:00.000-08:00

Our friends back in California are expecting a baby any minute now, so I whipped up Buster and Docker from the Rowan Babies book by Kim Hargreaves. Actually, I had planned on making this for Eli for quite some time, but I thought he was coming in May, not March. Thankfully, babies are small and wear tiny clothes you can knit up fast!

I used the yarn called for in the patterns, and actually had enough to make the booties from the leftover yarn from the sweater (in case any of you out there are thinking of making both for the smallest size).

Patterns: Buster and Docker from Rowan Babies by Kim Hargreaves
Yarn: Rowan Wool Cotton, (2) Misty #903 and (1) Inky #908
Size: 0-6 months
Buttons: 1/2" genuine shell by JHB from Jo-Ann Fabrics
Modifications: I didn't like the look of a 5th button at the very bottom edge of the sweater, so although I did make a buttonhole (barely noticeable), I did not sew the button on the buttonband. I reversed the color scheme for the booties, since I had more of the gray color leftover than the black.

That's it! A very easy and enjoyable small project.

Too...much...information...

2007-02-23T13:42:00.000-08:00

For our 5 year anniversary, we are going to Europe for 2 weeks in April. After months and months trying to figure out where on the planet we want to go, we ended up choosing some classic destinations that neither of us had been before.

Since we got screwed on our honeymoon (we had to cancel our Bali trip when life changed that fateful day back in Sept of 2001), we decided to make up for it on our 5 year anniversary. We thought about Bali again, as well as other equally exotic destinations, but in the end we thought it would be nice to glam up a really "normal" trip. So, we're going to Paris, London, and Monte Carlo.

Of course, I will be visiting some yarn shops while there. I have already figured out where the Phildar stores are in Paris (there are many), and unfortunately Rowan does not have their own shop in the UK (I wrote them), but I might drive out to Holmfirth anyway because we will be departing through Manchester. I know, kinda dorky that I would want to make a pilgrimage to Rowan even though they will deny me at the door.

Who's Jen?

2007-02-22T11:26:00.000-08:00

For my birthday, we went back home to California and spent one night in San Francisco. We stayed at the Four Seasons, which is sooo incredible! They sent a cupcake (with sprinkles!) to our room shortly after checking in. Nice.

Of course, it was a beautiful, blue-skied day. This is the view looking up toward Union Square. The next day, we had cake at my parents' house. Apparently, my name is "Jen"

More birthday yarn for me!!!!

2007-02-11T15:24:00.000-08:00

It's not even my birthday yet, and I'm already being spoiled. And I love it!!

Yesterday, we took a little road trip out to the wine country, to a little town called Carlton. There is a great yarn shop out there called Woodland Woolworks. They are a little overpriced (especially for being way out in BFE), but they always have a huge stock and the best is their warehouse full of sale yarn. I couldn't help myself. Actually, that isn't true. I did help myself!

Not only did I get all those goodies, but the day before, I happened to be in the area of Lint. I had to stop in and pick up 6 rolls of Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece, because they are the only people I know this side of Portland who carry it. This is color number 930, Candy Apple. What's it for? I dunno. I just wanted it because I've never knit with it before, and it seems quite popular. I'm sure I'll find something in the latest Interweave Knits.

Happy (early) Birthday to me!!!

2007-02-05T10:21:00.000-08:00

Every year my LYS, The Knitting Bee, has a Super Bowl Sunday yarn sale. Perfect timing, since my birthday is February 17! In my opinion, this is the best sale they have all year - many great yarns at 40% off, and everything else in the store is 10% off. I, along with about 20 other people, crowd around the store front waiting for them to open. Then, it's a mad rush to grab all the good stuff before they run out!

I really could have dropped a lot more in my shopping bag, but I was trying to be good. So, here's what I came home with: 13 balls of Tahki Kerry in wine red #5014, 2 skeins of Cascade 220 in Charcoal, 3 skeins of Elsebeth Lavold Silky Tweed (2 in red, 1 in straw), and 1 skein of Lavold's Silky Wool in pink.

As I was taking this picture, I had an intruder.

Also, check out this cool switchplate! Of course, it's in my craft room. :)

Ariann

2007-01-17T13:33:00.000-08:00

Ha! After a very long blogging hiatus, I'm back with an FO, no less. This one was a fun knit, since I had never done a sweater all in one piece (mostly). Oh, the joy in not having to sew up seams!

I would say that this sweater was easy and hard at the same time. The pattern is so deceptively simple, that I kept messing up on the lace pattern. You know how it is - you're watching TV and knitting, and you think you're in a groove so you stop paying attention. Next thing you know, your lace pattern and raglan decreases are off kilter, and you realize you're not as hot as you think you are.

But alas, I was able to successfully complete Ariann. And I'm pleased with the results! Here are the specs:

Pattern: Ariann by ChicKnits, 3/4-length sleeve version
Alterations: Added 1" length to body prior to decreasing for waist shaping
Yarn: Cascade 220 The Heathers, color number 9459 Yakima
Needles: US 6 and 7, mix of Clover bamboo and Denise
Buttons: 3/4" (pattern calls for 1 1/8", but it was too big for my holes) yikes!!??!!

I'm also in the process of crocheting the waist ties. I did one, and decided I wanted to do maybe 1 or 2 more to give it more strength. But for now, I'm calling this project done!

Blankies and Christmas

2006-11-20T09:20:00.000-08:00

This year, I decided to finish up some UFOs I had sitting around from last winter. One of the successful completions is the Blizzard shawl from Scarf Style. It is a crocheted shawl, but I think it's more of a blankie because it's quite dense.

After a failed attempt to knit a vest with some Knit Picks' Sierra, I decided to turn it into Blizzard because I realized that the color I chose, Fog, was just too flat and boring for a vest. It needed texture, and what better way than to crochet!

I can't remember excactly, but I think I used 4 skeins to make this. Oh, and don't mind the little Ugly dolls... they tend to gravitate toward warm blankies and they love having their picture taken!

If you have a TV or have been anywhere outside your house lately, you know that Christmas is almost upon us. I have been knitting mini sweaters and a stocking based on the pattern from Last Minute Knitted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson. Once I make enough, I am either going to turn them into ornaments for the tree, or I'm going to make a holiday mobile to hang in some random spot.

I like coming up with variations for the sweater, but as you notice, I only made one stocking so far. Why? Because you knit them on size 0 needles! Listen, size 0 is waaaay too small for a person, and it's also waaaay too small to knit. As with a size 0 person, these needles are like toothpicks and I feel like I'm going to break them! I know, I know, the end result looks pretty darn cute though. So, I will make more stockings until my teeeny weeeny needles break. Quick! Someone get a burger for my size 0 needles!

Sizzlin' Electra

2006-10-31T08:52:00.000-08:00

Ever since I saw this vest on the cover of Rowan 38, I have wanted to make it. I've had the yarn for a while, but I put off knitting it because I wasn't sure I could handle the Fair Isle.

To my surprise, it actually was easy and I was able to knit faster than usual. I think it's because I get bored easily, so I tend to take a long time to complete a large section of St st or rib st. There's never a dull moment with Fair Isle!

Pattern: Electra by Louisa Harding for Rowan
Yarns used: Main color - Rowan Yorkshire Tweed DK #343, Cheer; Yorkshire Tweed DK #350, Frolic; Rowan Felted Tweed #142, Melody; Felted Tweed #139, Crush
Needles: Clover Bamboo circs, US 5 & 6; Addi Turbo circs, US 3

Note: This was knit using smaller needles than called for in the pattern, in order to get gauge. I knit the size XL and had plenty of yarn leftover in all colors.

Peeps Cocoa Cats

2006-09-18T21:48:00.000-07:00

Peeps Cocoa Cats, originally uploaded by knitterj.

What a wonderful surprise to stumble across these at the grocery store while waiting for my prescription to be filled.

Yes, I know. I am supposed to be in Hawaii right now. Why am I still home, blogging about chocolate flavored, cat-shaped marshmallows? Because my back decided to tweak out on me 2 days before our trip, and I had to see the doctor (who wrote me a prescription for muscle relaxers and told me not to travel for 2 weeks). Who knew vacuuming could ruin a vacation?

Now I know why, at the last concert I went to, some college kids referred to me and my husband as the "old people". I'm 33 and he's 32. Sigh....

Something's fishy...

2006-09-15T14:26:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it... another FO!! This is the original sweater I started knitting for Kai, and I love it so much more that I think I'll send this one (even though he can't wear it for a while).

This is the Ship Ahoy! sweater from Adorable Knits for Tots by Zoe Mellor. There have been many complaints about errata throughout this book, but if you are a careful knitter you should be able to spot them easily before you run into trouble. At least, that was my experience from this pattern. I think the weirdest thing was increasing for the sleeve on every 3rd row, which means you have to increase on the WS sometimes. I'd never done M1s on the purl row, so I guess I learned something new!

I used Rowan Cotton Glace throughout, and substituted the green sail for a white sail. Other than that, I followed the pattern for the smallest size (6-12 mo.) and voila!

In other fishy news, check out this chicken breast we grilled up last night. Does it remind you of something? I heard my husband on the back patio (where the grill is) exclaiming, "It's a fish!" I was in the kitchen thinking he needed new contacts or possibly some medication, because I gave him chicken to grill up. He proudly came in the house, like a new papa, showing off his chicken breast that actually did look like a fish. A smiling one at that.

Surprise FO!!

2006-09-12T16:44:00.000-07:00

I've been sorta MIA lately because I was busy watching the US Open tennis for the past two weeks. I'm one of those hardcore peeps that watches from the First round all the way to the end. Day and night, 8 hours a day. Hardcore.

I needed stuff to knit while watching all this tennis. I finished knitting the Aran baby sweater, but I wasn't in the mood to sew it all together. I decided to finish up the Ahoy! sweater and I'll have pics of that when I'm done sewing it up.

But I needed something to get me through the final weekend, so I knit up Fetching. I used exactly 1 ball of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran in color 602. Since I have small hands, I knit 2 less rounds in the rib which is good because I probably wouldn't have had enough yarn to knit them anyway.

Gibson said I had to give him a tum-tum rub because I disturbed his slumber.

Noro sale

2006-09-12T16:37:00.000-07:00

Noro yarn goodies
Originally uploaded by knitterj.

Ok, now that I've received my share of the sale Noro yarn at Webs, I can tell you that there is a sale of Noro yarn at Webs.

I got 3 balls of Kureyon in color number 157 to make (yet another) Booga Bag, this time for myself. This will be my travel project during our trip to Hawaii. We leave on Monday... I can't wait!!!

I couldn't resist picking up 2 skeins of Cash Iroha, also on sale. This is color number 86, indigo. If you've never knit with this yarn before, let me tell you that it is one of those that you have to try at least once. It's, for lack of a better word, fabulous. Go get some!

Sweet Stumble

2006-09-02T09:50:00.000-07:00

coaster 001
Originally uploaded by knitterj.

Sometimes you'll be taking care of errands, going grocery shopping and what not, when suddenly, a chore becomes a pleasure. I stumbled across these two coasters (there were more I wanted) at New Seasons yesterday while getting dinner.

At first, I saw the chicken one and squealed. We collect anything that has a cute chicken on it, so this was perfect. Then I went down the line and saw one with an owl, a squirrel, flowers, and then.... a girl knitting!!!

Even though New Seasons has really crappy produce (but they make it look like nice), they make up for it with great gifty things.

weird asian drinks

2006-08-28T10:27:00.000-07:00

weird asian drinks
Originally uploaded by knitterj.

Hurrah! I just added flickr to my blog, and this is my first photo entry. Over the weekend, we went to the new Asian mall/grocery store Fubonn. We immediately noticed these two strange beverages - artichoke and pennywort?! There were other weird ones too, but these topped the list.

When I got home, I had to Google it to find out why anyone would want to drink these. Apparently, artichokes are good for your liver, and pennywort (aka gotu kola) helps with arthritis, brain function, and skin diseases. Yeah... I'm Asian and I still think this is weird.

Baby Aran Pullover progress

2006-08-25T11:51:00.000-07:00

I finished the back of the sweater, and I'm moving on to a sleeve (just to do something different). I'm really liking this new yarn (Knit Picks Swish). For a superwash, it's surprisingly soft and doesn't have that weird shiny-slick thing going on.

My only minor gripe is that there were a few spots where the yarn was really loosely spun (causing it to get splitty), but just for a few stitches here and there. Overall, it is really soft and easy to work with. I hope Kai likes it!

Bunnies 'n Babies

2006-08-22T09:47:00.000-07:00

I like collecting little toys, especially ones that are wind-up or moveable. My latest addition is this Energizer bunny, which in addition to being wind-up (he does spins), doubles as a sticker dispenser!!

I have to give credit to my husband, who had the choice between a regular package of batteries, and one that included this free toy. He said he knew I'd like the toy, so he got that one. He chose wisely.

Here he is, amongst the other "windowsill kids". Of course, the fez monkey takes front and center.

I got the new Rowan magazine in the mail the other day. I actually like quite a few of the designs, but I'm not making any plans yet - I have waaay too many things in the pipeline already.

I was really surprised to find my Knit Picks order in the mail yesterday. I wanted to try out some new yarns, so I got two skeins of Wool of the Andes Bulky; Swish superwash in Baby Blue to make the Aran Pullover from Knitting for Baby; Elegance in Grass to make the Pea Pod Baby Set; and a Swish color card.

I already started on the Aran Pullover last night, while watching the season premiere of Prison Break. Oh yeah, I missed my Monday night dates with Wentworth.

Thanks trek!

2006-08-15T10:30:00.000-07:00

Last night I received my "reveal" package from my secret pal, who I now know is trek! I did indeed enjoy the goodies as much as all the others. I think I drooled when I saw the yarn, a fabulous thick/thin twist in a dark smoke (almost black) color. Pretty blue stitch markers, more HK bath product, and yummy chewy taffy were also included.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, trek for being such a great spoiler!

The Good, The Bad, and The Lovely

2006-08-14T15:18:00.000-07:00

My wrists are killing me today, in spite of wearing my supports while knitting. So, I'm laying off basically everything and hoping they will recover by tomorrow. It sucks to just sit here, and I of course have to keep this post short.

The good news is that I finished the Dolly Bag, and it's super cute. I'm going to sew in a fabric liner when I feel a little better. I learned that I hate making bobbles, particularly with a stiff cotton like this. I omitted them from the top of the ribbing. It would have been bobble overkill anyway.

And here's the evil contraption that I think largely contributed to the painful wrists. We got this PSP so that I can play games on the plane to/from Hawaii, and also we just like the latest gizmos. I have a Nintendo DS, but the PSP has better games. Problem is, it weighs a ton. I tried it out last night (while Mikey was on the PS2), and today I wake up with sore wrists.

Ok, so it's possible that knitting could have done it. I worked on the Short Row rib scarf as well, and here's how far just under 1 ball got me. I'll definitely need a third ball of yarn.

Ack! So much for a short post.

Fall is on the horizon

2006-08-13T12:54:00.000-07:00

I'm so happy to be working with wool again! I started on my first crewel project, which uses wool thread/yarn. This here folks, is how far I got over 3 days. Yeah, pretty dismal.

I'm used to cross-stitch, which has predetermined holes you stitch through. This embroidery stuff is hard, because you have to have a steady hand, which of course flared up my carpal tunnel. I wasn't wearing my support gloves though. Tsk, tsk...

So in between breaks, I worked on the Sacha slippers and finished one foot. I also started on a new scarf (yay!). It is the Short Row Rib scarf, and I'm working it in SWTC Karaoke, which I love. I'm not sure if I'll have enough yarn for a decent length, so I'm hoping to pick up another ball at my LYS.

I flipped through the latest issue of Interweave Knits, and I immediately loved the Sienna cardigan. Looks simple, warm, and fast to knit! I think I might also have some yarn in my stash that will work, so even better.

I also like the Spartan Pullover for Mikey. I've only knit him one sweater (which he doesn't wear out because it's too big), but I figure he really deserves a nice sweater because he lets me stay at home and knit. Theeenx!

So crewel!

2006-08-09T10:12:00.000-07:00

I've been going through a knitting slump lately (just not very motivated), so I ordered some wool thread and linen to start creweling. I noticed that a lot of online suppliers were in the UK, but one place in the US was actually here in Oregon. It is called The Twining Thread, and they are out in Newport.

I thought about taking a drive out there (I've never been), but it's a bit of a drive and the shipping was probably cheaper than the cost of gas. So, I placed the order Saturday, it went in the mail on Monday, and it arrived the next day Tuesday!

I'm impressed with the promptness (and accuracy) of my order, and wanted to give a shout out to the fine folks at the Twining Thread. Keep up the nice work!

Hooray for me!

2006-08-04T14:53:00.000-07:00

A couple Christmases ago, I begged for a sewing machine. I dreamed of sewing up all kinds of good stuff (darn you, supereggplant, for making it all look so easy!). When it actually showed up, I realized that I'm not so mechanically inclined. I should've known; I can't even drive a stick-shift.

So over the years, my sewing machine has spent 99% of its life in the closet. Then the other day, we were at Craft Warehouse. I'd never been to one before, since they only have them in the NW. Well, they had a great selection of fat quarters that I was determined to find a use for (besides making quilts).

It just so happened that my sister-in-law's birthday was this week, and we didn't have a gift bag to put her stuff in. I Googled a pattern for a tote bag, and who was the second link, but none other than supereggplant. I found the confidence to pull the sewing machine out of the closet, and right on top of it was this ribbon that happened to match the material!

It was a sign that all would go well. Aside from a minor flub, I was able to dish out this bag in just a few hours, and I'm really happy with it! I can't believe how quickly you can create a bag, when compared to how long it takes to knit a similar item. I'm ready to tackle another sewing challenge!

Yarn explosion!

2006-08-01T12:43:00.000-07:00

After this post, it may look like I seriously do nothing but buy yarn. I'll admit I've been going a little overboard lately, but there are some great deals out there right now. Has anyone else noticed this?

Besides, I'm starting to prepare for the holidays, and I swear I'm going to start early. I always have the intention of knitting a bunch of stuff, but run out of time (I think I'm a faster knitter than I really am). So I'm starting to hoard all the nice fluffy alpacas, soft wools, and other beautiful yarns that will turn into gorgeous scarves, gloves, and hats.

Last week, I won 2 ebay auctions. One was this lovely tan alpaca that will be a soft and warm scarf. The other is the lofty, squishy merino that I've wanted to try out. I managed to score 10 balls on ebay for real cheap. Woo hoo!

Then this morning, I headed over to my LYS for their summer sale. Here's all the good stuff I came home with. Boy, that's a lot of scarves-in-the-making! I got the Berroco Suede to make the Sacha slippers (sans embroidery).

And because I'm such a supereggplant/actionhero groupie, I bought The New Crewel so that I can learn yet another craft. As if I didn't have enough on my plate, I also got some material to make a drawstring bag. At least, that's the plan. I'm so intimidated by my sewing machine, I don't know if I will get around to conquering it. But aren't they fun?!

Oh, and I also got my Rowan magazine and free gift. I actually didn't want to receive this issue (I thought they would begin with No. 40), because I flipped through it at the store and decided that most of the stuff was really weird. Oh well. I started on the Dolly bag last night, while watching Hell's Kitchen. You donkey!

Aloha!

2006-07-30T14:49:00.000-07:00

When my sister was here, she gave me this cute Hello Kitty tote bag as a gift. Like so many girls, I have a bag/purse obsession. I want to take this one with me to Hawaii in September, so I bought a Hello Kitty luggage tag to put on it (it's too flimsy to actually put on my suitcase). It's tropical themed, even!

Today's topic: Rowan

2006-07-26T17:07:00.000-07:00

Last month, I finally caved in and decided to renew my Rowan International membership. Then a few days ago, I got a surprise visit from the UPS guy. He delivered a thickly padded envelope, which included some papers. I mean, I like getting packages and all, but isn't it overkill to send a couple pamphlets and a letter via UPS?

Speaking of packages, I also got a delivery from all the way across the pond (and the country!). I bought several skeins of the discontinued Rowanspun DK from Cucumberpatch. I thought it would be nice for the Electra vest from Rowan 38, but now that I see the yarn in person, it's a little on the thin side. We'll see.

I also started finishing the Wicker sweater. I sewed up the shoulders and knit the neckband, and now I'm thinking it looks really cute as a sleeveless number. I know, I know. After painfully trudging through endless ribbing on the sleeves, I'm suggesting of scrapping them all together. Can you blame me? It's hot out there! Opinions welcome.

Samples 'n Stuff

2006-07-21T14:41:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago, I had the idea of knitting a vest for my dad, who's 77. He gets cold easily, so I thought a wool vest would be nice when the weather gets cooler. I really like the Professor Vest, so I downloaded pattern. Suggested yarns were from two companies I had never heard of, but both sent me color samples in the mail for free!

The top pic is from Black Water Abbey yarns, and the bottom pic is from Bartlett yarns.

Thing is, I came to the conclusion that my dad would probably never wear the vest. Why? Because he's one of those people that refuses to wear new clothes, preferring instead to don the same shirt and pants he wore when I was in grade school (20+ years ago).

Eh, at least I got some great samples for future projects, right? Well, as far as actual knitting goes, I've been slackin'. I don't know if it's the heat, but I just haven't been very motivated. I did end up frogging the Cherry sweater and started working on the Bonita Shirt from Interweave Knits.

Although I like how knitting in the round minimizes the amount of finishing you have to do, I really don't like how it feels slow going, mentally. Each round is 200+ stitches, which to me is painful! I know I'm doing the front and back simultaneously, but I like doing things in small bits. This project has become my side project.

In other boring knitting news, I finally finished the final sleeve for the Wicker sweater. Remember that guy? Yeah, when I got to the sleeve that's all ribbing, I sort of burned out. It was really boring, but for some reason I picked it up after a hiatus and completed it. I think it just felt good to work on bigger needles for a change.

I also got some yarn to make the Pea Pod Baby Set. I wanted to make it in a wool instead of cotton, so I ordered this Debbie Bliss Merino DK from Webs on sale. It seemed like it would be a nice green, but I dunno - I'm thinking it's just not the right shade for a baby.

Happy Monday!

2006-07-17T14:58:00.000-07:00

Normally, I'm a grump on Mondays. But not today, because I just had a glorious weekend! To start, on Friday I received yet another package from my SP. This one was chock full of good stuff - everything a girl would need for a day (or two) of pampering. Can you believe all this?!

And did you notice the spindle and fiber? I can't wait to try spinning my own yarn! Several months ago, I bought a booklet called Spin It by Lee Raven, but I never bothered to buy a spindle. Secret Pal, you're the best. Thanks so very much!

So, the reason I was delayed in this public display of gratitude is because my sister, her husband, and my nephew drove up from California to visit. This was their first trip to Oregon, so we went to some of the touristy sites. We also drove out to Hood River for a lavender festival.

I picked my own bunch of lavender (now currently upside down, drying). There was an alpaca vendor there as well. They were so sweet and pillowy, I was tempted to take one home. Then I remembered that our backyard is barely big enough for 1 dog.

Instead, I bought some yarn. These are all un-dyed alpaca fibers, and they are so incredibly soft. It's so neat to buy yarn made from local animals! They were in my bag with a calendula soap, so they smell good too.

Tidy up!

2006-07-10T15:58:00.000-07:00

Not much news on the knitting front, as I have been preparing for my sister's visit. Since they (my sister, her husband, and my nephew) will be staying with us, it has given me a good excuse to buy new stuff for the house.

I also tidy-ed up my craft room, mainly my bookcase which holds my "showcase" yarn and all my books, patterns, and projects-in-the-works. There's more yarn in the closet, but we don't want to expose the stash-within-the-stash. My chair is opposite the bookcase, hence the TV on top. How lucky am I, that I get to look at this lovely collection all day?!

Ahoy!

2006-07-03T15:55:00.000-07:00

After taking a few days to mull over how I was going to proceed with the failed Cherry sweater, I decided that I couldn't decide. Most likely, I will just frog it and knit something else. The yarn is so nice to work with that I don't think I will mind spending more time with it.

Yeah, I was a little disappointed, so I thought the perfect thing to cheer me up would be a small, fast project. I love knitting baby clothes, and found the absolute perfect sweater for our friends' baby due in October. His name is Kai, which means "ocean" in Hawaiian, so the sailboat sweater from Adorable Knits for Tots seemed fitting.

My LYS, The Knitting Bee, was giving 20% off all red, white, and blue yarns for the holiday weekend. I picked up part of the colors needed for the project. They didn't have all the colors, but it was a start.

I really wanted to start knitting it up, so I was on the hunt for the other colors. I headed over to lint, and they had the dark blue and yellow. Now I just need a green!

I also got the yarn needed to make the Eyelet Chemise I'd been wanting to make for a while. I chose Elsebeth Lavold's Hempathy in the color White Beach, a great neutral color. I was lucky enough to play with a swatch before buying this yarn, because it was one of the samples from the Yarn-of-the-Month club. I hope it works out!

Sleeve problems

2006-07-01T14:17:00.000-07:00

I started on one of the sleeves for the Cherry sweater, but about halfway through I realized that it's way too small for my fat upper arms. In spite of having super tiny fingers (my wedding ring is size 3.25) and normal lower arms, I have these unusually large upper arms.

So, I've paused to figure out how I'm going to make the sleeve bigger without messing up the stitch count. I'm thinking of increasing the length, prior to binding off for the sleeve cap, thereby making the ribbing sit lower on my arms where it's not quite so flabby.

In the mean time, here's a shot of my new favorite magnets - cakes! Since cake is my all time favorite food, I knew I had to pick these up on our recent trip to the grocery store. I just wish we had a fridge to stick them on. Not that we don't have a fridge, but for some reason, magnets don't stick to stainless steel appliances. It's strange, huh?

Wowee!

2006-06-29T11:14:00.000-07:00

Look what my secret pal sent me! I think I did a little happy dance when I kept pulling and pulling, and more beautiful balls of yarn kept coming out of the envelope. 7 balls total of Rowan 4 ply cotton! Thank you so, so much secret pal!

The color is absolutely gorgeous - a perfect wine red called Fandango. Since we picked up the mail so late last night, I had to refrain from going into my craft room. Otherwise, I would have spent all night looking through my patterns to decide what I want to make! So, I held back and told myself to save that task for tomorrow. Which of course, is today!

I looked through my Rowan magazines, but nothing really stood out as a clear winner. I pulled out the Interweave Knits, and I fell in love with the Prairie Tunic by Veronik Avery. I'm not sure I'll look good in the finished product, but I just enjoy making things I think are beautiful.

Since I need my US3s for the Cherry sweater, I'll have to wait until I'm done with that project before I can get started on the tunic. So there's some motivation to get movin'. It's always nice to know what's coming down the pipeline. Thanks again, secret pal!

I'm...so...dumb...

2006-06-28T14:54:00.000-07:00

So, we just got back from CA yesterday, and as I'm catching up on some blog-surfing I had a "doh!" moment. As I mentioned before, I found out about Cherry from Action Hero. I noticed that she'd started on it, and posted a picture. Something looked a little different.
Hmmm, did I mess up on the bird pattern? That would be yes. Instead of slipping the stitches with the yarn in front (on the WS), I did it with the yarn in back, so there is a "bar" across the slipped stitches on the RS. Here's a closeup of what I mean:

Not too big a deal, but I did stop to decide if I was going to frog it and start all over (that's the perfectionist in me). Then the laziness in me finally took over (whew!) and decided that it wasn't a big deal and it would only make mine "special". Yay for being lazy!

Well, I don't have a lot of pics of our trip because our stupid batteries died in the middle of the wedding. I really wanted to take some shots of the hotels we stayed in so I could write a review at TripAdvisor, but I kept forgetting until after we'd messed up the room with all our crap.

Here's the view from our room at the Napa River Inn. We were in the Embarcadero building, which is located along the river front. Our room was on the second floor overlooking the river and also the good folks at our favorite Napa restaurant, Angele (that's them setting up for lunch service). I liked our room, but it was seriously overpriced, even by CA standards.

I wish I had taken a photo of our room at Hotel Healdsburg because it was sweet! We just had the standard room there, and it was spacious and luxurious. The bed was the best we'd slept in, but the bathroom needed better lighting and more water pressure.

In spite of frequent mishaps along the way, we had a great time. Got to visit with my parents at my sister's home, and the wedding was beautiful. There was even a celebrity there, but perhaps it isn't appropriate for me to say who. Ok, I'll just tell you that it was one of the boys from "The Brady Bunch". And of course, our camera's batteries just had to die - you do believe me, don't you?

Before I go...

2006-06-22T16:07:00.000-07:00

Well, we're heading off to CA tomorrow for the wedding, but I wanted to post an update on the Cherry sweater.

Now, am I the only one that thinks the pattern looks like a cross between bird feathers and fish scales? This is the pic without flash:

And this is the one with flash, which seems to mute the pattern a bit:

I am having a blast working on this, because the yarn is so soft and the pattern keeps me interested without being too overwhelming. I want to take it with me to CA as my travel project, but I would be devastated if I lost it or it got harmed in transit, so I will keep it safe at home. I'm having the hardest time figuring out what to bring with me, because it is in the 100s up in Healdsburg and that kind of heat doesn't make me want to knit much of anything. Could this be the first time I don't knit on my vacation?! hahaha... who am I fooling...

Sweet cherry

2006-06-16T13:18:00.000-07:00

Another wonderful thing I learned about from Action Hero's blog, is this sweet little number called Cherry.

After a failed attempt to make the Eyelet Chemise by Therese Chynoweth using the Frog Tree Pima Silk I bought in Cannon Beach, I was determined to find something that would work for this yarn. When I saw Cherry, I was really hoping I could get gauge because it fit the bill - a simple yet interesting cardigan with short sleeves!

Here's what I got goin' on so far.

The Pima Silk is really nice, but not without its issues. It is really splitty, yet the plies want to stay together (if that makes sense). I just love how soft and silky it is. I wouldn't recommend it for patterns with k3togs or the like, simply because it is so darn splitty, but k2togs have been fine.

The ball band says 5 sts/inch on US #5, but I'm getting more like 5.5/5.75 sts/inch. Because of this, I'm using US 5s for the Cherry pattern, instead of the suggested US 6s.

Grrr... BAD blogger!

2006-06-12T15:07:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to post a few blog entries over the last few days, but blogger has been misbehaving lately. Thankfully, not much has been going on, just the usual rants and raves.

Rant of the day - I'm still upset over Roger Federer's loss at the French Open. I was really pulling for the guy, and I don't care what the win would have meant - I still think he's the greatest tennis player of all time.

Rave of the day - I finally finished the little crochet bag for the wedding! I made it a tad bigger than in the pattern, because I wanted it to be able to hold a travel pack of Kleenex tissues (I've been known to cry at weddings). I also made a different flower because I thought the one in the pattern was too simple. Here's the one I chose - thanks Melissa! I'm thinking of placing a nice button in the middle, just to dress it up a bit more.

Back from the farm

2006-06-05T12:22:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, we went to the wine country and stayed at a neat little Bed and Breakfast on a goat farm. It was so great to finally get out of the house - the first overnighter since we moved here in September! The day started out a bit rainy, but it got better as it went on.

First, we had lunch at the Dundee Bistro. I had the rockfish served in a delicious saffron/tomato broth. Excellent place to stop if you're in the area. Then, it was on to do some wine tasting! We hit Lange Winery, one of our favs in the area. Then we went to Erath, which is one of the pioneer wineries in Oregon. We picked up several bottles between both.

One of the more interesting aspects of the trip was the Abbey Road Farm B&B, where we stayed. The rooms are actually inside of these silos, which I didn't think Mike would want to do because he has a strange fear of silos. But, it really doesn't look anything like a silo inside.

Being a goat farm as well, they had a lot of silly goats and lots of other farm animals. When we pulled up, I was really excited to see the donkeys and the chickens (my favorites!). They also had a few alpacas, sheep, dogs, and of course - the requisite guard llama. Their llama looked pretty friendly, but I wasn't going to push it.

It was such a nice place to get away. The B&B didn't have TVs, and I thought I'd go bonkers, but I just relaxed and played a little Sudoko. I brought along the crochet bag I'm working on, but I didn't have time to work on it. So, another blog entry sans knit/crochet.

PS - Just wanted to say Hi and Thanks to my Secret Pal, who's been sending me ecards over the past week! I just wanted to let you know that I did go and have a doughnut on Friday (per your suggestion). We went to Krispy Kreme and the "Hot Now" sign happened to be on, so we got a free hottie. And I also got a Chocolate Glazed with Sprinkles! Thanks so much for thinking of me - I really enjoy getting your ecards, especially ones that tell me to go eat a doughnut!

Walk this way

2006-05-30T15:59:00.000-07:00

It has always been our dream to be able to go for a walk with Gibson without some sort of drama. Heck, getting out the door is drama. The first sign of a walk, and he's jumping, spinning, panting, and generally acting like a crazy fool. Then once he's out, he's zigzagging like he's trying to avoid a bullet. If another dog approaches, he scrambles toward them and charges forward with hackles raised. If he can't meet them, he starts to bark and growl like he's the one who's offended.

So a couple weeks ago, I bought Cesar's Way and it opened up a whole new philosophy for us. We'd paid big bucks back in California to take him to a class for aggressive dogs, but it didn't seem to help. It was all based on positive reinforcement and treats, which Gibson isn't really interested in when he's outdoors. Cesar's Way introduced us to the idea that his aggression is attributed to his lack of exercise, discipline, and understanding of the family pack order.

Over the last several weeks, we've been walking him almost everyday. This is supposed to help tire him, allowing us to more easily assert ourselves and hopefully lessen his frustrations. But this dog's got way more energy than us. Enter in the dog pack - another one of Cesar's suggestions. We spent the weekend going on long walks and we weighed the pack down with two cans, about 3.5 pounds.

So, after a 3.5 mile walk and the 3.5 pound dog pack, you'd think he'd be pooped out and hungry. But no, he seemed normal for the rest of the day, and he didn't even finish his dinner! I'm amazed at this guy's stamina. Needless to say, he still has the energy to go loco when he sees other dogs, but he's a little better on leash (less zigzagging).

Ahhh... silk...

2006-05-26T13:10:00.000-07:00

I've been chuggin' along with the knits for Ann's wedding. The Tilli Tomas silk yarn is so incredible! Even though I have to go slowly and carefully due to the sequins catching, it has been such an enjoyable experience. This is my first time knitting with 100% silk, and it is so luxurious - soft and drapey with an elegant sheen.

I think right now, it kinda looks like a man's necktie, but I'm hoping it will take on a different look once I put the tassels on the ends. This picture doesn't do the color justice!

The silk has been spoiling me. I'm only about halfway done with the body of the drawstring bag, and I have to keep stopping because it's giving me callouses!

I've worked with the Louet Euroflax 100% linen before, and it was murder on my fingers. I thought the MerLin Camelot would be better because it's only 30% linen, but it is still pretty harsh. And what's up with crochet always curling on the ends?

So, it has been raining here for the past several days with no sign of it letting up for the weekend. Very depressing for this California native! We had planned on working on our fence, but I guess that idea is scrapped. I guess I'll just have to continue my research on our proposed Hawaii trip. Oh, why can't it be now?!!!

I'm officially spoiled

2006-05-25T10:15:00.000-07:00

Wow, check out all the stuff I got from my secret pal!!! I wasn't sure I could get everything in the frame for the picture! And what a nice note inside the fantastic sheep card. I am definitely going to frame this little guy and put him up on the blank wall next to my computer.

I just love everything - the yarn, books, bath goodies, Kitty stuff, and the stitch markers (oh, the stitch markers!). All are great, but I just thought the little robot guys with hearts were sooo cute. Thanks, secret pal, for making my day!

Sorry, no pics...

2006-05-23T12:06:00.000-07:00

I don't like posting without pictures, but it's been raining here for the last two days and I can't seem to get good lighting. I've made decent progress on Ms. Marigold, in spite of an error in the pattern which I reported. I also got the yarn for the drawstring bag I'm making for the wedding. It is crocheted, so it serves as a nice break from knitting when I get bored of stockinette!

The rain had started to depress me, but then I got word from my Secret Pal that something's in the mail! Woo hoo! And my Secret Pal is the queen of obscure "holidays" - who knew that today is Sea Turtle Day? It's fitting, though, because this morning I was researching trips to Hawaii. Am I being spied on?

New stuff!

2006-05-20T16:53:00.000-07:00

So, what have I been up to lately? I finished the front of Wicker and started the second sleeve, but I just got so bored of all the (K2,P2) ribbing! And the cotton really started to hurt my fingers. They were yearning for something softer, something with some give.

My Knit Picks order finally arrived, but much to my dismay, the Alpaca Cloud I ordered to make the Tie One On shawl for the wedding didn't complement my dress. Serves me right for taking my husband's advice on color. So into the stash it goes...

So what now? After thinking about it some more, I realized that I probably didn't want to wear a wrap. I'd be better off with a really fabulous scarf, something I can keep wearing while eating dinner at the reception, or dancing afterward. I decided on a great yarn called Disco Lights from Tilli Tomas in the color Burnt Orange.

It's so pretty, I don't want to mess it up just yet. I just want to admire it for a while. So I decided to work on Ms. Marigold in the Elegance yarn that was also in my Knit Picks order. This yarn is really soft and pretty, but it's strange. It started out super splitty when I first cast on, then by the third row it was normal, and now on the fourth row the plies are overly twisted. Weird. But it feels so much nicer than cotton!

I cracked the code!

2006-05-16T09:34:00.000-07:00

Years ago, when we lived in Texas, I picked up a new book called The Da Vinci Code. I don't usually buy anything when we go to Barnes & Noble, because up until that point, I couldn't remember the last time I read a book that I wasn't going to be tested on.

Since my degree is in Art History, Mike thought I might enjoy this one. He'd been trying to get me interested in reading, so I agreed to give it a shot. Once home, I couldn't put the thing down! I was even reading during the day, instead of watching TV or - gasp - knitting!

I credit that book for breaking me of my reading displeasure. Now that the movie is coming out, there's Da Vinci Code stuff everywhere. Google is running a promotion, whereby the first 10,000 people to complete the 24 games move on to round 2. The prize for being one of the 10,000 is a limited edition replica cryptex. Being a lover of games, and the book, I of course submitted my entry and hoped I would be a finalist. Check out what was in the mailbox yesterday!

Happy Mother's Day!

2006-05-15T15:55:00.000-07:00

Since we consider Gibson our kid, we celebrate Mother's/Father's Day. If you know him, you know that he's less of a "dog" and more like one of those ill-mannered children on some TV show. Very out of control and hyper. Yeah, I know it's our fault - and we're working on that. I've been reading Cesar's Way. But enough about that. Here's what I got from him:

In spite of his craziness, he somehow managed to go out to Lush to buy me all these wonderful treats! The most unique item is the jelly soap in the container. Very strange to "pinch" off a piece of soap that feels like it could be a giant whale snot. And yes, you're reading that right - it's called Spank Me With Saplings. Thanks Gibs!

I love spring knits

2006-05-13T16:28:00.000-07:00

I love the knits for spring/summer; all the tanks and short-sleeved tops with lacey details and soft, flowy styles. Yes, I love them - but do I look good in them? Not really. I'm better off in a thick wool pullover, where no one will notice the (ahem) rolls.

Still, I can't help but want to make the Eyelet Chemise in the latest Interweave Knits magazine. Though, not in the called-for Euroflax linen. Can't stand to work with the stuff. Definitely something softer.

And have it reiterated lately how much I love having a yarn store less than a mile from my house? I trotted over to the Knitting Bee the other day to see what new goodies they had, and I picked up a couple of fun items. The aforementioned Interweave Knits magazine being one, and also 2 balls of Debbie Bliss Cotton Angora on sale for $2.99, along with a nifty new Mini Kacha counter.

Not sure what to make with the Cotton Angora, but for now, it's a great addition to my yarn shelf. And the little Kacha has been handy during my progress on the Wicker sweater. I still love my full-size Kacha, but I couldn't resist the little green guy.

And here's how the front of Wicker is going. You can see how I substituted the eyelet holes for cables.

I gotta give a shout out to my Secret Pal. Hiya! I just got an email from her (I assume it's a her, because the email handle is "knitmom" - not trying to be sexist here). I'm still waiting to hear who I get to be a secret pal to, and I'm just dying to know!

Here comes the bride...

2006-05-11T16:34:00.000-07:00

Not referring to myself, of course (been there, done that!). While shopping for my Ma for Mother's Day, I spotted this dress and had to get it for Trent and Ann's upcoming wedding.

It actually ties in the back, but I kinda like the way it looks tied in front. Anyhow, I ordered some yarn to make a few accessories. I just love any excuse to buy new yarn and make fun little projects!

Although the wedding will be in California at the end of June, it might be a little chilly later on in the evening, so I figure a light wrap or shawl would be a good idea. After perusing the million or so wraps/shawls out there, I really liked the blue version of Tie One On from knitty.

I had worked with Rowan KidSilk Haze before, and although I LOVE the yarn and the stuff made from it, it does require patience and a gentle hand (which I'm not in the mood for right now). I decided to use Alpaca Cloud in Sunlight from Knit Picks instead. Why? Because it's slightly less delicate, and costs next to nothing.

Of course, I'll also need a little bag to carry my essentials. I chose to make the square crochet bag from Leigh Radford's One Skein. I just placed the order for the yarn, Louet Sales MerLin Camelot in Sunflower. It was hard to find online, so I pretty much figured it would be impossible to find in stores.

Now I must wait for all the goodies to show up!

Secret Pal 8 Questionnaire

2006-05-02T17:36:00.000-07:00

As a former SPer (SP4 alumnus), I'm really excited to participate again in SP8! I'm going to fill out the questionnaire anew, since it might be interesting to see if my answers have changed over the last year and a half. Here goes!

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? I like a lot of yarns, but my favs are soft wools with maybe a bit of angora, alpaca, or mohair... delicious! I don't care for "novelty" yarns or acrylic-y acrylics.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? I made the Circular Knitting Needle Holder from Stitch 'N Bitch, which hangs in my closet, and my crochet hooks and straights are in a drawer in one of my "yarn towers". I don't use straights very often, as I prefer circs. I also have a set of Denise Interchangeables, which come in their own nifty case.

3. How long have you been knitting? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? I taught myself to knit about 3.5 years ago, and I consider myself an intermediate/advanced knitter (but I'm not afraid to challenge myself!). Since I don't often crochet, I think I'm a beginner.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? I have an Amazon wish list, and my Knit Picks wish list won't let me add the books/patterns that I want (weird!).

5. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.) I love soft, sweet florals like jasmine and honeysuckle, as well as herbals like green tea and basil.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy? Oh boy, yes! I love desserts, all kinds, and my favorite candies are salt water taffy, nougat, various Japanese candies, and anything cinnamon flavored.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin? Sadly, I haven't made time for other crafts lately, but I would love to learn how to spin.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) I have a very eclectic taste in music - specific artists, not music genres.

9. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand? I like most colors, but my favs are reds/pinks and olive/sage green. I don't like bright colors like hot pink or grass green.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? I'm a married housewife, and my husband works from home, so we are together all the time! We've chosen not to have kids, but we have a spoiled dog and want more canine kids in the future.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? I occasionally wear scarves and hats (though not this time of year), and I don't wear mittens or ponchos.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? This really depends on my mood. Sometimes I like small projects, other times I'll dedicate myself to a real sweater. I like knitting things with lace, aran, or rib patterns because it keeps things interesting.

13. What are you knitting right now? I'm working on Wicker from Rowan 37, and I'm currently researching new projects as well. I generally like having more than one project at a time, so I can switch between them if I get bored.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? If they're well-made gifts, sure!

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? Bamboo circs all the way!

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? Yes on both accounts. I even have a yarn meter, but I don't think it's calibrated correctly, so I don't use it.

17. How did you learn to knit? I sat in front of the computer and looked at a website, and also consulted a book I bought from Michael's.

18. How old is your oldest UFO? Too old to recall! I have a whole bin full of UFOs - I have completion issues, partly because I hate finishing with a passion.

19. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas! I'm not ashamed to admit I love the presents, the cookies, the dinners, etc.

20. Is there anything that you collect? We collect things with funky/fun chickens on them. I also have a lot of Hello Kitty things.

21. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? I've been wanting to make the Rockstar jacket from Alchemy Yarns, but to do it with the original yarn would cost like, a kajillion dollars. I also want a pack of Rowan Calmer, but again, it would cost like, half a kajillion dollars. I used to subscribe to Interweave Knits and Rowan International, but both have expired and I've been too lazy to renew. I do, however, still get the Yarn-of-the-Month goodies.

22. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? I want to practice more fair isle. I want to make the Electra vest from Rowan 38, but so far I only have the main color yarn, Yorkshire Tweed dk in Cheer. I'm trying to get more balls of the same yarn in different colors, but I can't decide what would look good.

23. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements? I don't like knitting socks because I have a hard time working with small needles, and I can't stand knitting in the round. I do, however, like wearing socks and my feet are really tiny - US size 5.5!

24. When is your birthday? (mm/dd) February 17.

Out with the old...

2006-05-02T09:34:00.000-07:00

...in with the new! Our new deluxe high-efficiency washer showed up yesterday, and boy is it a huge upgrade from our scrappy one. Check out all the buttons! I love buttons!

After moving from Texas to California to Oregon over the course of 2 years, our old washer got really jacked up. It would get so off balance that the entire thing would shake violently and make horrible noises, as if we had some hostage in the room and s/he was trying to break the shackles. Last week, it got so bad that the lid was popping up during the spin cycle. The time had come.

The new kid was the only top-loading HE that we saw at Sears. Since our laundry room is pretty small and the door is right in front of where the washer goes, I didn't want to deal with a front-loading washer.

This puppy is so weird - there's no agitator, but it somehow manages to turn the clothes around. I know this, because the lid is glass and we watched the entire process! It makes a lot of strange (but quiet) robotic noises, and now the loudest sound coming from the laundry room is the water. I'm a happy little homemaker. :)

The Canon's back!

2006-05-01T13:25:00.000-07:00

I've been working on Wicker from Rowan 37, and I'm almost done with the back. I think the original pattern calls for lace on the the entire back, but I carried over the center ribbing from the front because I like the way it looks.

Here's a closeup of the lace, which I think looks like fish back bones.

And I'm getting closer to finishing the Apricot Jacket (aka Iceberg Jacket). I know, I keep saying that, but I really mean it this time. After sewing up all the seams, I realized that I should have knit the darn thing on US 8s instead of US 7s. It felt too loose when I swatched on 8s, but I really regret it now because when I tried it on, I couldn't get the fronts to meet across my boobs!

So, I came up with the idea to add an additional band of ribbing along the front edges. I simply knit a long band and sewed it up along the original selvedge. You can hardly tell! I just need to do the finishing crochet and I'm going to do only 1 button in the center because I don't think I'll ever wear it closed.

The other day I was at Michael's (with my very own Michael, no less) to pick up a bottle of Tacky Glue, and I stumbled across a bin of ribbons on sale for a buck a piece. I really could have gotten a few more, but I didn't want to look like I had a ribbon obsession in addition to my yarn addiction.

I do more than just knit

2006-04-27T12:10:00.000-07:00

Even though this is primarily a knitblog, I really ought to talk more about other stuff once in a while, don'tcha think? I neglected to mention in my last post, the impetus for last weekend's coastal trip. For our 4th wedding anniversary, my in-laws got us a gift certificate to EVOO, a cooking school in Cannon Beach.

Of course, they insisted on tagging along, so we had to choose a class that would work for all our busy schedules. I think we totally lucked out, because our class rocked! We attended the winemaker's dinner featuring WillaKenzie Estate in Yamhill. All the wines were incredible, and their representative, Neil, was a wonderful speaker/host. The food was awesome, and we came home with some kitchen gadgets and 2 bottles of wine.

Not a bad day, not bad at all...

Ew, that STINKS!

2006-04-25T17:27:00.000-07:00

Yeah, the picture quality sucks because it's from my camera phone, but it was all I had. We spent Saturday afternoon in Cannon Beach, which turned out to be a really nice day.

I'd heard that some purple jellyfish were washing up on the beach and I really wanted to see them, since jellyfish are one of my favorite animals. Well, I neglected to figure that washed up sea creatures + 70 degree weather = nasty stink! Boy, it was ripe I tell ya.

I even came home with some yarn from the newly opened Coastal Yarns (it's in the same location as the previous yarn store in Cannon Beach). I bought six balls of Frog Tree Pima Silk, but I don't have a pic because the camera is in Raleigh, NC.

I knit up a swatch and discovered that this stuff's super splitty. Not the best choice for lace patterns, particularly when you're trying to k3tog - good luck getting the needle through all the strands...

So, I decided to whip out the Gedifra Fifty-Fifty I bought on eBay eons ago, to make Wicker from Rowan 37. I've only done the first two rows of ribs, but I'm thinking of running two cables along the front panels instead of the leather string.

I also finished (mostly) the Apricot Jacket from Rebecca. Since mine's Rowan ASC in Iceberg, I suppose I should call it the Iceberg Jacket. I wanted to pick out the buttons before I crochet up the button holes (so I know how big I need to make them). So, it's not 100% complete, but close enough. Again, no piccy since the camera ain't here.

A very merry unbirthday

2006-04-10T14:56:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty sure my sister isn't aware of this blog, so I think it's safe to post a pic of her birthday present here.

As soon as I saw the knitted cupcakes in Leigh Radford's new book, One skein, I knew I wanted to make one for my sister's upcoming birthday. Also in the book, is a pattern for little "candy wrapper sachets". I made two of those as well, to create a dessert plate of sorts.

Here's the lowdown on the project:
Cupcake base: Knit Picks Shine worsted in Coral, less than 1/2 skein, US 6 dpns
Cupcake frosting: GGH Amelie in White, small amount, US 10 dpns
Ribbon flowers: Pre-assembled from Jo-Ann fabrics
Candy wrapper sachet (diamond print): Rowan 4-ply soft in 391 Folly, small amount, US 2 dpns
Candy wrapper sachet (ribbed): Rowan 4-ply soft in 378 Day Dream, small amount, US 2 dpns

Intead of filling the sachets with lavender flowers and dealing with hunting down the special tea bags Radford used, I opted to use vacuum beads I purchased from Restoration Hardware. No mess, and I could simply throw a few in with the polyfil stuffing. I used Lavender Rosemary for the sachets, and Meyer Lemon for the cupcake. Oh, and the plate is from Anthropologie.

Huh, whaddaya know...

2006-04-06T16:36:00.000-07:00

I received a really nice comment on my blog the other day from this guy. I paid his blog a visit, and noticed this "Life Quiz". I'm a sucker for questionnaires, so I had to check it out. Here are my results:

This Is My Life, Rated
Life:	7.2
Mind:	6.8
Body:	6.6
Spirit:	7.4
Friends/Family:	5.2
Love:	9.1
Finance:	6.6
Take the Rate My Life Quiz

My Love score was so high, they asked me to comment further on it in hopes that I might inspire/enlighten others. To be honest, I don't know why I scored so high except to say that I chose "strongly agree" to the happily married question. I wasn't lying, either (for all you cynics out there).

What I thought was strange was the fairly high Spirit score. Huh? Me? Spiritual?! The only spirits I believe in are those in my cocktail. I suppose in spite of my lack of religion, they gave me points for being at peace with my lack of religion.

Well, thanks for sharing the Life Quiz, Steven. At least they didn't tell me I was miserable!

Springtime goodies

2006-04-04T10:04:00.000-07:00

Do you ever get bummed out after bidding on something on eBay, only to find out that you lost to some sniper? Happens to me all the time. But every once in a while, something magical happens... you bid really low, and no one snipes it!

Here's what I got for twelve bucks:

Pretty good, eh? I wanted some Yorkshire Tweed to begin pulling colors for "Electra", the cover vest from Rowan 38. I absolutely love the vest, but when I started Googling other blogs I realized that I'd have to face my biggest knitting nightmare - yarn ends. Oh, how I can't stand weaving in ends. And unfortunately, they go hand in hand with fair isle. So, maybe something else.

Happy Anniversary!

2006-03-28T09:38:00.000-08:00

Ok, so it's not until tomorrow, but we've been playing with our new toy for a few days now. Boy, is it a whole lot faster than making french press coffee! Push a button and a few seconds later, it's caffeine bliss.

Our Solis Master 5000 Digital has become a member of the family. We greet "Mrs. Solis" every time we pass by her coffee bar area, complete with Starbucks vanilla syrup. I know true coffee lovers aren't supposed to like syrups, but I can't help it!

(

FINALLY.... after almost 2 weeks

2006-03-17T13:57:00.000-08:00

I swear I was convinced my Knit Picks order had gotten lost in the mail, or never processed. I placed my order 12 days ago, and I know they're generally slow but this was getting ridiculous. I guess when you pay only $1.99 for shipping, you can't really complain though...

Here's a sampling of their new cotton blends: Top row - Shine Worsted in Blush, Main Line in Red Velvet Cake, Main Line in Antique Rose, Main Line in Butter Pecan; Bottom row - Shine Worsted in Wisteria, Shine Worsted in Coral, Shine Worsted in Terra Cotta

Now to knit up some swatches!

I hate blocking

2006-03-16T14:35:00.000-08:00

As promised, here's a pic of the butterfly pin I made for my Sophie bag. It's the butterfly from the scarf in Stitch 'N Bitch Nation. I used two types of alpaca yarns: The grey heather is Plymouth Indiecita Alpaca worsted, and the orange is Knit Picks' Andean Treasure in Sunset. It wants to curl like mad, but I really hate blocking (even on something small like this), so I might just sew it on the bag directly. Right now, it is attached by a pin backing.

After completing the butterfly per the pattern, I thought it looked rather boring and needed more detailing. Hence, the stitching in the wings. Looks more like a monarch, don'tcha think?

I love New Seasons!

2006-03-16T12:13:00.000-08:00

Okay, so they served me a grilled chicken sandwich that was raw in the middle, but I still love New Seasons. They have the coolest stuff there, like these paper clips I just had to have:

I like how they included a background paper that looks like a tree with acorns on it.

My fingers are flyin'!

2006-03-04T12:44:00.000-08:00

Over the last week or so, I've completed a project, started a new one, re-started an old one, and I'm researching yet another. Must be something about spring that's gotten me all worked up.

After finishing about half of the Sophie bag, I decided that it was too loose, even for a pre-felted item, on the US 10.5 needles. So, I started over on US 10s, Clover circs to be exact, and I liked it much better. Here she is, in Cascade 220 color number 9460 (a really pretty green/grey heather).

I'm in the process of knitting up a butterfly in orange and grey alpaca yarn to put on the front of the bag. It just needs something, ya know? The pattern I'm using for the butterfly is from Stitch 'N Bitch Nation. I'll post a pic when I'm done.

Since my normal wallet won't quite fit in Sophie, I bought this cute little gorilla wallet at a shop in Lake Oswego called Lucky Me. I also had to have the Hello Kitty cell phone antenna charm. It was just too perfect with my existing Hello Kitty "Princess" sticker I had on the back.

While I was waiting for Sophie to block, I started work on the Blizzard shawl from Scarf Style. I had actually bought several skeins of Sierra yarn from Knit Picks to make the Oregon Vest from Oat Couture, but I hated the way it looked. Not sure if it just wasn't the right color (I got it in Mist), but I had to rip it out and find some other use for the yarn. I realised that the color is so flat, much like the gunmetal grey of a military airplane, that it didn't look good on a girly girl like me. However, it would make a really sleek and warm shawl/lap blanket. Here it is, about halfway done:

I've also picked up my very old project, Kathy from Rowan's Cork Collection. This sweater's been in the works for like, ever... I can't even remember when I started it, but I think it was from before we moved to Oregon, so we're talking middle of 2005. I'm just knitting up the buttonhole bands, but all the main pieces are done and waiting to be blocked.

Since it looks like I'm near completion on that, I started looking into what to do next. I'm looking ahead to spring, as so many of us are, and I remembered that I've been wanting to do the Apricot Jacket from Rebecca 27 for a long time but never got around to deciding on the yarn. Unless I find the "real" stuff on sale or on eBay, I usually hunt down a more economical option. I might use Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece, but I just noticed that Knit Picks released some new cotton yarns that might work.

I also love the Sweater with Diagonal Ribs from Rebecca 24. It reminds me a lot of Pinup Queen from Stitch 'N Bitch, but with bell sleeves and additional diagonal ribs. So much to knit, how's a girl to decide?

Not-so-Chinese Charm-less Bag

2006-02-13T12:00:00.000-08:00

I'd been wanting to make the Chinese Charm Bag from the first Stitch 'N Bitch ever since it came out, but since the yarn was discontinued I never got around to it until now.

I tried finding a similar yarn with the same shimmery character, but it seems like all the yarns with even the smallest amount of silk or metallic thread costs $15+ per ball/skein. So, I resolved to find a yarn that still had the same striped or variegated look.

Last weekend my LYS the Knitting Bee, had a yarn sale and I was there when the doors opened (along with several others - it was a packed house). I immediately spotted some Noro Big Kureyon on sale, and fell in love with colorway #7. I crossed my fingers that it would work for the bag, and after only 1 skein, here it is!

Here's the inside liner I hand-sewed. I originally had bamboo handles, but I thought the rattan matched better, and gave the bag a rustic, country feel to it. Thus, a country store themed bag liner!

Wow, an FO!

2006-01-13T13:37:00.000-08:00

After months of working on stuff and setting it aside or ripping it out, I finally have a finished object! Here's the final Booga pic, using Noro Kureyon #128.

Update on Booga 2

2006-01-11T15:25:00.000-08:00

Carol's Booga Bag is now felted and in the drying process. Here it is, upside down, where it will remain until tomorrow, when it'll be completely dry.

Booga 2

2006-01-06T12:41:00.000-08:00

I'm back to knitting, after a crazy month of moving, being sick, and holiday stuff. I'd been working on some mindless scarves, but nothing worth blogging about.

Now I've been asked to make another Booga bag for a family friend. I headed out to the Knitting Bee, less than a mile from my house (less than 3/4 of a mile, to be exact!), and they actually had the exact color she wanted in the Noro Kureyon. And since I'm Japanese, I gotta point out that it's "coo-RAY-on" (as in 'crayon'), not "CURE-ee-on" as I often hear it pronounced.

Here's a day's progress:

Note the tamago stitch marker!

da Hood

2005-12-10T08:40:00.000-08:00

I was impressed with my husband's picture-taking skill on this one, a snap of Mt. Hood as seen from my in-law's bedroom window.

I wish I were a baby!

2005-11-09T10:43:00.000-08:00

Ok, so everyone I know would probably argue that I am a baby (or at least, act like it). But seriously, these little slippers are so damn cute. I'm considering putting my brain to use for once, to come up with an adult-sized version of the pattern. Ok, I'm done considering. Who am I kidding? I'm like, the only Asian person on the planet that missed out on the math genius gene.

"Baby Slippers" from Adorable Knits for Tots by Zoe Mellor, knit in "Shine" from Knit Picks, colors Cherry and Cream. Needles - US 2, shell buttons from Jo-Ann.

I'm sick in the head

2005-11-03T14:26:00.000-08:00

This potato was in my in-laws' weekly vegetable delivery basket. I about died. Should I sell it on eBay?

Hello, kitty

2005-10-21T08:20:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we went to the big Japanese supermarket, Uwajimaya. It was just like being back home in the Bay Area! Asians everywhere, and Mikey was the minority for a change!

We really had a great time looking at all the fun stuff. Of course, I had to buy stickers at Kinokuniya bookstore. And we bought a bunch of rice crackers and instant noodle bowls (the good kind, not Top Ramen). But we were disappointed in the selection of things, particularly their candy isle. They just didn't seem to have the exact items we've come to love. I will, however, give them kudos for being the most non-Asian smelling grocery store I've ever been to.

Here's the big find of the day. When I was a kid, I used to love making these box kits. When I saw this one with all the Hello Kittys on them, there was no question it was going into the basket. From my past experience, I know that you're supposed to use the special Japanese paper paste to glue the washi onto the box. I don't know why exactly, but my mom always bought the one in a flat, yellow tube. Being the good girl that I am, I picked up a bottle of Japanese paste. Mom would be so proud.

Two for the price of one

2005-10-13T16:29:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it - two posts in one day! I was so excited to find a package of yarn on the doorstep today. I just had to share!

As you probably don't recall, earlier in the year I received two beefy skeins from Handpaintedyarn.com, sent to me by my (then) Secret Pal. I ended up knitting a small rug, slightly felted, that sits at my bedside. Well, it did when I used to have a home. Anyhow, I should really get around to taking a pic of it because it's really cute.

I've always meant to place an order from this place, which does all hand dyed yarn in an amazing assortment of colors, at even more amazing prices. I finally got around to it, and I just love what I got! Definitely worth the 2.5 week wait (it came from Uruguay).

Top: Ejido 160 in Robles, Handspun Bulky in Triple Azul; Bottom: Merino Wool Bulky in Cooper, Ejido 160 in Picnic, Colonia 140 in Cinnabar
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These will likely become scarves - yes, more freakin' scarves - or other small projects. I purposely ordered onesies so that I can get a feel for the different yarns and how true their colors are, since I've never ordered from them before. After my little "taste test", if I like it enough, I'll see about ordering enough to make a great rustic looking winter sweater. Okay, gotta go squish my fingers into these skeins!!

Why doesn't it look like the one in the book?

2005-10-13T11:59:00.000-07:00

I know there have been some discussions, particularly on the Knitter's Review forums, about substitute yarn for Ene's Scarf. I did the research myself before starting on this. Now, since I didn't use the original yarn, and given my limited knowledge of how specific fibers bloom over time, I don't know if this thing will eventually lay flat and look a little more... how do you say... polished?

It seems to look puffy, and the stitches look wrinkly. I'm hoping that a dunk in some water will even out the stitches, and a light press will smooth out the puffiness. As you can see in the second pic, I'm having to hold down the edge stitches because they're curling.

Ene's Scarf is chuggin' along!
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closeup of Ene's
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Aside from my feverish knitting, I have been spending time trying to "get to know Portland". I still can't believe I live here. I keep thinking this is just a visit to the in-law's that keeps going...and going...and going...

Well, at least we are under contract on a house. So, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. We're supposed to move Thanksgiving week, which seems like an eternity, so I'm not terribly excited just yet. Once things get closer, I'll start to feel like it's more real.

Since we don't know anyone (our age) here in Portland, I've been having a hard time finding those little hidden gems that I know exist here. We don't live in the "cool" parts of town, so I've turned to lurking around other Portland bloggers to see where they hang out. Not to stalk them, but just to hear about cool places, yarn stores and otherwise.

I think that once we settle into our own house, and get our lives in normal working order, I'll try to get out to the yarn stores and try to meet people. So totally not what I would normally do, so we'll have to see if it ever happens. Hey, I'm from the Bay Area - we're just not that social.

Hello, I'm now an Oregonian

2005-10-04T13:00:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's been a long time since I've blogged, but let's see... I found out we were moving and 4 days later we had all our belongings in a POD. The following day we drove to Oregon. And now, three weeks later, we are under contract to buy a house. I'd say that excuses me from slacking on the blogging.

I haven't, however, stopped knitting through all of this. I of course brought all of my needles and various accessories (ball winder, stitch markers, etc.), but all I needed was some yarn. Not hard to find here in Oregon.

I purchased some stuff from Elann and had it shipped to my in-laws' house (where we're temporarily shacking up). One project I've been working on is Ene's Scarf in Peruvian Collection Baby Silk in the color Raspberry. Aside from a few pattern repeat blunders, it has been relatively easy to follow. This is the thinnest yarn I've ever worked with, but at least it's done on size 6 needles since it's lace. That's about as small as I'll go - I just prefer to work with larger needles.

Ene's Scarf from Scarf Style in baby alpaca/silk blend
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The other project I have for those mindless-knitting-while-watching-TV times, is a 3x3 rib scarflet in Lorna's Laces Angel. I actually started knitting it (I made up the pattern), and decided that I could make it a little wider and longer. So, I ripped out the first half and I'm going to start over. Here are the two balls ready for a second go. This yarn is so incredibly luscious. I highly recommend it if you're willing to splurge a bit (it cost about $10 for a 25g hank, 50 yards).

Lorna's Laces Angel in Sand Ridge colorway
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And finally, my in-laws just got back from a 2-week trip to Italy and lookee what I got! Real Italian yarn, spun right there in Florence. I just love the interesting yarn construction of the burgundy yarn - doesn't it look like it's crocheted in chain stitch? Fabulous!

Euro yarn!
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Very cool, very interesting yarn
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Waaaaahhhh!!!!

2005-08-27T17:49:00.000-07:00

Well, now that we know we're moving (at some point), I'm starting to make my rounds and making one last visit to my favorite LYSs.

I had some errands to run in Los Altos, so I stopped by Uncommon Threads to see if they had the new fall Rebecca magazine in (issue number 30). Woohoo! They had it, and although many of the patterns are way too funky for me, I just like having all the issues. I imagine having a nice, organized "library" of knitting magazines and books in my soon-to-be knitting room. I can't wait!

Yes, I actually get to turn a bedroom into a knitting room, where I can organize my yarn and pattern books. Right now, our place is so small I have my things tucked away in a thousand different nooks and crannies - basically, wherever there is space. I can never find anything, and I forget what I have because half my stash is in a hard-to-reach shelf high up.

But, I digress. Here is what I picked up on my final visit to Uncommon Threads. I noticed a new yarn there, Rowan RYC Soft Tweed. Something about it really grabbed me, so I got a ball to make yet another scarf. This is Slate Blue, color number 7. I liked how it has very subtle tweedy flecks. It isn't a nubby tweed, and overall the yarn is sort of felted-ish.

I really enjoyed working with the Crystal Palace Kid Merino for my last scarf, so I picked up another ball in a light green (sage, number 5448) to bring out the green tweed in the Rowan yarn. I was really tempted to buy a similar color in Rowan KidSilk Haze, but it was more than twice the price of the Kid Merino. One of these days I'll learn how to splurge.

Last stuff from Uncommon Threads
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