The Good, The Bad, and The Lovely

 
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

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!

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!

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!

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!

 

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

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

 
















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!

 
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!

 
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!

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

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!

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...

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...

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...