Sweet Stumble

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

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

 
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

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!

 

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

 
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!