Pay It Forward and Knitting Updates!

Happy December, everyone!

First off - I signed up for a Pay it Forward handmade exchange on Craftylilly's blog last week. Sounds like fun, doesn't it? Well, I know I don't have too many blog readers, but I'm hoping I've got at least three who want to sign up for something like this! Here's the deal:

I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange. I don't know what the gift will be yet, and you may not receive it soon, but you will receive it within 365 days - I promise! The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward - make the same promise on your blog.

Come on! Just for fun - and you've got a WHOLE YEAR to pay it forward, too. Even I can manage a deadline like that. And seriously, how much of the stuff you make can you actually keep in your house?

And....actual knitting updates!

I've finished a second Foliage Hat - this one in blue. It might turn out to be a gift... I'm not sure yet. This pattern is so much fun, though. It's easy enough and I get to practice my lace before trying with lace weight yarn!

Second, I'm actually working on my Central Park Hoodie (in Peace Fleece Wool colorway Zarya Fog). I'm only a bit up the back piece, but it feels good to be working on an enjoyable project! My Tangled Yoke Cardigan is a bit stalled (dk weight yarn is not fast....).
I am also working on a cotton pullover out of Elann Sonata... that one is a bit stalled! I'm not feeling excited about it anymore...

Is anyone else feeling the pressure of upcoming holidays?

Post-Thanksgiving Blahs.

I want to thank everyone for your supportive comments on both our cat endeavors and my psychological issues with baby showers! Thank you so much.

The baby shower went really well, in fact, and I'm actually very excited about having a niece! I'm sure she's going to be wonderful and adorable. Some other things happened over that weekend that I might tell you about at some point...but I'm not ready yet to talk about it. A bit distracting, but nothing too horrible, really!

And I took a shot (perhaps our only one) of the Orange Guy who fathered the two little kittens in the background of the shot...aren't they adorable??? Those two guys are from separate litters, but just love each other. Oh, and our neighbors were able to get some money to get some of these guys fixed, too! Yay!

The Times they are a Changin'

Yep. Not for me, mind you - for my brother and his wife. Tomorrow I'm off to a baby shower (actually I can't believe that I'm driving 100 miles for a shower)! I suspect they are trying to avoid the holiday season by having the shower now, more than 2 months before her due-date. I honestly wasn't expecting to be dealing with a shower this early. But, I thought ahead and bought these:




These are from the Soho Boutique on Etsy, and I think they're adorable! In fact, I thought I might be able to keep them longer, even. Not that I have anything to do with them. I tried putting them on the cats, but the cats are just too smart for me.

I think when I bought them, I was trying to convince myself that I'm okay with my brother having children when both my sister and I haven't been able to. Certainly it isn't an option to not be happy for them - I mean, I am, really. But, you'll also notice the lack of baby knits. I think when I'm knitting, and I don't want to wallow in any self pity! Which, surely, I would. This year has been difficult for various reasons....but I'm sure it will pass. I am hoping that the baby shower will not be difficult for me or my sister. Good thing I have PMS. Indeed.

On to the knitting. I have been procrastinating on all sweater projects! It's too hot here (although only mid-80's today!) to not be depressed by knitting wool sweaters. Seriously. I wonder if it will ever get cold! Although I purport to be working on the Tangled Yoke Cardigan from the Fall 2007 Interweave Knits.... I have only just finished my (second) swatch. Same with my Central Park Hoodie. But, both are now ready to cast on! And I'm exciting about beginning soon - must distract myself from wanting to buy more yarn. I have just finished the body for another Fibonacci Bag:
Hopefully I will full it soon. These bags really are so fun and fast to knit and very cute. If you wanted to make it a bit bigger, you might need a third ball of yarn (if using the Nashua Creative Focus Chunky), because it really takes up most of the two balls. And that's without a swatch (since I figured, why swatch? it's a bag.).

Next up: back to the sweaters? Or perhaps the cute hoodie baby blanket from magknits...

There's a zoo in my backyard!

And there are a few of the cats and kittens who visit our yard checking out the cage we set to catch them. This is what I've been occupied with for the past few weeks - attempting to catch, neuter/spay, and release. Thus far, we have caught two females. And it's exhausting! The last one we caught is only 2 months old, and her mother was (is) quite irritated with us. The little kitten kept crying for hours after we brought her home from the vet last night, but we have to wait until today to release her! We were lucky to find a program that would pay for five cats to be spayed or neutered- but, as you can see - we have more than five! In fact, we have more than ten....

I have been knitting a little, but as blogger is refusing more photos...that will have to wait til next time...

Happy Halloween!

I'm just going to leave you with the Blue Man.

Something in the Air

Yes. I wish it were fall. I do. But it's 95 degrees here... No, I think it's ragweed, unfortunately. Anyone else feeling it? We've got stuffy noses, runny eyes, and headaches all around here! Luckily, I'm on some lovely allergy medication.

Something lovely came to my door a week ago:

It's Malabrigo Lace in "Verdes." And I love it! I'm not sure if you can even see how vibrant the greens are in this. It's the only lace yarn in my stash, and I'm planning on practicing with the "Easy Flame Lace Scarf" on Knit and Tonic. I'm almost afraid to touch it!

I'm getting a little ahead of myself, but I've swatched for the Central Park Hoodie using Peace Fleece wool, which is a bit scratchy. I haven't washed the swatch yet, so we'll see what happens when I do. I really want to like this yarn!
I have actually finished my Tangled Yoke swatch, too.... and I'm loving Rowan Felted Tweed. I keep stopping just to look at my knitting! Hopefully I'll actually get that project to a point where it looks like something photograph worthy soon.

Have a good weekend! I'm off to make some Pumpkin Pie and pretend it's fall!

The Thing That Should Not Be.

This is me (notice the abnormally long tongue...sorry about that). The hat is Santa Cruz in sport weight Knit Picks Andean Treasure (which is really lovely, by the way). The crown has been ripped as this is the Smallest Hat Ever. Perhaps a gauge issue? Perhaps I have a huge head? Well, I enjoyed doing battle. Hat 2. Me 0. But I did get a good laugh out of it.

I think it might be punishment for not working on my sweater projects...

Bonus if you know who's song the title of this post is without googling it. ;)

Temptation Waits

I keep singing the song "Tangled Up in Blue" in my head. Did you know that women are more likely than men to get earworms? I almost always have one. Last week, I kept hearing the line "what a long, strange trip it's been" from the Grateful Dead song "Truckin." Just over and over. And really, it *has* been a long, strange trip. So I went browsing through the songs on this computer to find a title for this post. There are some great song titles on here that I can't wait to have a reason to use!

Okay, so a week and a half ago, I said I was going to go work on the Tangled Yoke Cardigan. You know, swatch and stuff, maybe cast on, even. Right. But then I remembered I wanted to knit the Foliage Hat from Knitty. And I had some crazy colored Malabrigo yarn. I was tempted. Especially since I really wanted a quick knit!

Pattern: Foliage by Emilee Mooney
Size: Version 2 (worsted weight)
Yarn: Malabrigo Seleccion Privada

The yarn was somewhat felted in the hank and was, thus, a PAIN to wind. Even with my handy winder. It's very soft, though, and I'm looking forward to using Malabrigo wool again. These colors...uh...not so much.

The pattern is interesting (so they tell me- this is my first hat) because it's top down, rather than bottom up. I found it a bit finicky to cast on - when I finished the crown I noticed there was a bit of a "nipple" on the top. It bothered me. A lot. I kept picking at it while I was knitting my way down to the bottom! So when I finished, I managed to sew it down a bit. The lace pattern is very simple, but I kept forgetting to pass the slipped stitch over - especially when chatting or watching important baseball games (with playoff implications, as Fox put it). No matter! Really, with crazy yarn like that I can't see where I made the mistakes (ok, not easily - I know exactly where they are).

So, on to Tangled Yoke? Um. Yeah. I just cast on for Santa Cruz (yes! another hat!). My excuse is that I really wanted to try the traditional bottom-up method for making hats, more lace patterns (working my way to something with lace-weight yarn, even), and I have some Knit Picks Andean Treasure (100% Alpaca) that seems super soft and I want to try. So, there you have it. I was tempted by hats...and I really must get back to Santa Cruz because it's already one-third finished.

have inexplicably gained hips overnight.

Ok, sometimes I think I'm Bridget Jones. When crazy things happen, such as, say, gaining mass in my hips, stomach, and thighs when I am doing more yoga and eating less fatty/sugary stuff... I am prone to speaking in Bridget Jones-like sentence structure (in my head, mainly). Right. Calories: 2534. Jelly bellies do not count as are expired and thus probably lose calories through time. Also beer and wine - no info on label must mean completely free of evil fattening calories. Ok, not really. Must go back and re-read Bridget Jones in order to write properly.

Um, right. So, I am going to need more jeans this winter as all jeans bought last year are now too tight. Either that, or do seventy-zillion curl-ups a day for the next few months. The internets might be making me fat.

Back to more interesting news from the month of August. I finally got my Haiku bag!! I'd forgotten that I'd ordered it (back in April). I must say, I really do love this bag. It was a bit more expensive than I'd normally pay for something like this....
I love the blue and the brown together, lots of pockets, nice vegan leather-like stuff (that yes, I've gotten wet in the rain and it's fine), and washable interior. It's sold by several retailers as a diaper bag, even. I think the strap could use a bit more cushioning (ok, any cushioning), but perhaps I shouldn't put such heavy stuff in it. You want one. You know you do! Go on over to Scout's and get one - there are some great new designs, too.

Also in August, I won a contest over at Romi's blog! She sent me this lovely shawl pin:
I absolutely *love* her designs! I'm so excited to own one (and this simple one happens to be my favorite)! BUT.... I haven't yet knit a shawl or stole to use it on. Any ideas? Since I'm a lace beginner, I'm not sure I'm ready for Rosemary's Muir. Although, yes, it's lovely! I also like the Hanami Stole. Isn't it amazing? What do you guys think? I want the color to go well with the copper color of the pin, too.

I think I'm going to cast on for the Tangled Yoke Cardigan this weekend! Oh, after swatching, of course...

Where have I been?

Well, I've been trying to get things back on track in my life. Yep. And there was still very slow knitting going on. But, see here?

It's a completed Jaywalker! And, believe it or not...I've actually started on the second one!




And here!


A completed Blue Tomato! I know the neck is a bit wonky. Somehow I managed to pick up a different number of stitches on one side. And the yellow in the stranded design pulls in under the blue, so you see odd little patches. But, I'm still proud of finishing my first sweater!!

I just finished it Sunday, after putting off the collar and sleeves for a couple of weeks. Picking up stitches around the neck irritated me a bit. I think it's because I really didn't want to rip anything out. Gosh, I'm lazier than I thought.

There are other things afoot in my life, also... we visited my in-laws in Florida a couple of weeks ago. I survived. In a teeny pre-fab house (with seams, I tell you, *seams* in the plastic walls). I probably shouldn't get into the issues with my husband's parents here. I mean, really, who doesn't have issues? Especially if you're an only child (as my husband is). But, in early August, we were told that my mother-in-law has cancer. The day before her surgery. There is a long tradition here of keeping relatives and friends in the dark about medical issues. I'm not clear on the reasoning behind it, but I'm thankful that we were at least told *before* the surgery! My FIL did not want to tell my husband at all. ?!?! They didn't tell her sister, even, who lives TWO DOORS away. Okay, thanks for the short vent.

Anyhow - I have more to tell you about. I have acquired some cool stuff within the past month that I'll take photos of soon...

Delay in el Tour Jaywalkers...

Yes, I really do need to get a move-on here! I was hoping to finish at least ONE Jaywalker before the end of le Tour. On Sunday. See that picture in the last post? I'm not any further yet! I'm distracted by how close I am to finishing the Blue Tomato. And I'm already thinking about knitting up a tank or cami before the end of summer. Who am I kidding? Summer should be here until November - that's plenty of time!

And I'm sure I won't get anything else finished, because I gave in today and bought this book. You know which one! The one everyone read last weekend. Yes, I'm a huge fan (despite the snickers I get at work). So...unless I can read and knit - guess which I'll have finished by Monday! Yeah, not the Jaywalker.

Oh, have you seen the Interweave Knits preview?

Isn't this gorgeous? It's the Tangled Yoke Cardigan by Eunny Jang. I wonder if I'm up to it? I was so overzealous, though, that I've already got the yarn (shhhh!!!).

Recovering Procrastinator?

I appear to have been absent from blogging this past week! Well, I was actually *trying* to get some real work done. I've had a lot to do, and I'm a huge procrastinator. I'm hoping to soon turn the corner on my procrastination and become an EX-procrastinator, or recovering procrastinator or something like that. I am forever wondering how I've wasted my time, how I've managed to put all these things I need to do from my mind completely... it's a skill I must've learned as a young procrastinator. I once heard a quote that went something like - those who are good at making excuses are seldom good for anything else. I am VERY good at making excuses. And people rarely call me on it. Seriously. I'm not trying to boast (really, is that something to boast about?).

So, on Tomato - the body is still not finished, but I'm getting really close! I can feel it! Well, really, you can see it, too:And, on the Jaywalkers (or jaywalker, as the case may be) - I have started the heel flap. Then I got distracted with how close I was on Tomato. And then I jammed that partially finished sock on my ankle and barely got it off. That's a bit disheartening - I've checked my gauge and it seems to be on, too. I just must have a large foot/ankle/calf. But I'm not going to rip it yet - I want to actually try the whole sock before starting over (if I decide to - really, I know plenty of people with smaller feet than me).

Ravelry could be addicting...

Have you been there yet? I've heard talk of how interesting it is...I really wasn't sure what to expect. I love it! Wow. I can now keep track of all those projects that I want to do and ones that I'm still working on...and pictures of the stash (I haven't managed to take photos of those yet - hate to reveal all of my hiding places while my husband is home!). So, that's where I've been lately! I'm so disorganized with all my knitting stuff (who am I kidding? all my stuff is disorganized) and I'm hoping for a miracle with Ravelry!

In le tour de France project updates... my Jaywalker is moving along slowly but surely!

It's exciting to see the pattern emerging. Honestly, I have yet to form an opinion on the colors - this is Opal somethingorother in Doktorfisch colorway. I think. I was reading on the tour KAL site that some knitters have turned heels already, finished entire pairs of socks, etc! Wow. And I continue to knit slowly along. Perhaps things will speed up soon.

And no, I haven't gotten back to my Tomato yet. I'm afraid I might have a minor sock addiction. Will definitely work on the Tomato this weekend....if only I can put the sock down! Thanks everyone for all the comments on my little knitting projects! I really appreciate the encouragement. And I'm amused that Romi revealed that she doesn't even like to knit socks (thank goodness, in case I decide otherwise at least I'll have company) - but go check out her gorgeous Mystery Stole 3!

Sock knitting is for crazy people.

Yep, that's right. Especially with that teeny sock yarn. And teeny needles. Starting out, I'm feeling all thumbs! I'm not saying I'm giving up or anything - no way! What would I do with all of my sock yarn? Give it away? HAH! That's how I got most of it, actually - people giving it away. Hmm.
For the tour de france knit along I'm attempting to make my first pair of socks! Or one sock. Or half a sock. Okay, well, here is what I've got so far. Don't laugh! I know its hardly anything!Yes, it's about half an inch. Someday it might be a Jaywalker! Perhaps. So, you know, I started with some lovely Addi Turbo circular needles - I couldn't figure up from down, in from out, and those needles kept smacking me as I turned the thing about trying to figure out how to join. And so I got irritated (might've been the heat that made me so irritable, though), and ripped out the cast on stitches. And pulled out some bamboo dpns. Maybe next time I'll try the two circular thing.

Here's how "tomato" is coming:About waist deep or so. I can see the mistakes from here. I got sick of dropping the blue, picking up the yellow during the fair isle portion and attempted to hold one yarn with one hand and the other with the other hand. And I don't know how to knit continental, mind. It worked, and I was pleased with how fast it went.... but, uh, I kind of lost some of the stitches on that third houndstooth stripe. Oh well! I still feel like I learned something, and I really really really don't feel like ripping back. I'm too lazy. :)

Eye Candy Friday!

Cactus flowers, Mount Lemmon, Tucson. They really were this bright!

SP 10 Package!

Ok, I'll admit these photos are not the best! That first one is handspun by Kate! Wow. It's beautiful. I'm not sure the deep reds come out so well in the photo, but it was the best I could do - I was fighting with a tripod and waning light. The other photo shows most (but not all, oops) of the other goodies: green apple mints, a mini crochet hook, some Noro silk garden lite, a lovely yellow stone bracelet, gummy bears (sadly, I have already eaten these...yes, I have a problem), and cat toys! Not pictured is the super yummy Sistercraft soap (that photo just did not turn out) and three little notebooks with a sheep guy stamped on the front. I really wanted to eat the soap - sandalwood with a bit of vanilla scent!

And this is how hot it is:

Warning....Slow Knitting Ahead...

Yes, that's right - this blob of knitted fabric is supposed to be something someday! I'm hoping it will be the top in the background - "Tomato" in "No Sheep For You." It seems like a simple enough pattern for someone who's never made anything sized before (just bags, dishcloths, and scarves so far!). I'm using CottonEase in "lake" rather than the Blue Sky Dyed Cotton that is called for in the pattern. I've heard both good and bad things about the Blue Sky Cotton - and I'll be happy to try it out someday.... but I really wanted to try the CottonEase on something.

My gauge was on with size 9 needles (the pattern calls for size 7 and others have gotten gauge with this size....I must be a tight knitter). But, I thought, I like the way the fabric looks with the size 7 needles. So I cast on with size 8 (happy medium?) and tried to make one size larger than I need. Then, I realized about an inch or two in that I'm knitting much looser than I did on my gauge swatch. Oops! So I switched back to size 7's. I can't wait to see how badly I've screwed up the sizing on this one. But hey, if I don't keep going I won't learn anything, right?

I'm a little bored right now - each row of stockinette takes forever. I knitted half the blob while watching "Raiders of the Lost Ark" the last two nights. And Jennifer is right - it does hold up really well over time! There's a bit of silliness here and there where you can see the age of the movie, but overall, I'm glad I own this one. On another note - no, archaeologists really don't like the view this gives of archaeology (you know, the treasure-hunting aspect...). I mean, most archaeologists would be loathe to remove those objects from their contexts without proper mapping. hehe. Sorry. That's my inner archaeologist coming out. But really, it's about being dirty and finding hardly anything for hours or days or weeks at a time!

Yes, that's me in the middle holding the sign board that you can't read. 1998. I miss digging.

Indecent [cat] Exposure

Chris posted Mayhem's belly.... I've got lots of cat bellies! These aren't the best shots of these guys, either... but cat tummies make me laugh - and don't we all need to laugh a bit every day?

BELATED thanks to my SP!

A couple weeks ago, my lovely SP signed me up for Knitters Anonymous! The stuff they have is hilarious - see the pink pad? "While you were knitting." I'm not sure I qualify yet for "extreme knitter" - and I don't think I've ever knit in traffic (I walk to work - lucky me, but no knitting happens while walking!). There was also a "knitwit" magnet that I'd already left at work (oops). I think it would be disastrous if I knit while drunk - uh...I've never been drunk, actually. But a bit tipsy or tired and ripping is required!


On the cat front... Chester has now been an indoor cat for a full year! AMAZING. Not sure how we got through the first few weeks, either. Here's one of the last shots of him outside - note the lack of collar and if you look really closely - you'll see the injury on his back paw that required us to bring him in. He had to have a bone extracted (the same one you'd extract if you were declawing a cat - something I think is inhumane...but in this case, he had a bone infection). It's been tough, but he has his sweet moments (and he's super cuddly).

Bookmarks and Postcards

Look what I found! Vintage 1981. It's the first bookmark I remember having.
Next, are two I made sometime within the last year or so. I know, not knitting... but still something I made!















And here, I used stamps to make a couple haphazard post cards. It was a technique I found in a book that looked like it was right up my alley - I like throwing things together quickly. Actually, it takes a while to get the stamps, ink, cleaner, paper, embossing powder, and all that out. I used to make stationery (not that I write to anyone...usually I just sent it off to people in swaps), and always underestimated how long it would take me to finish. A set of ten sheets took an hour or two! But looking at these makes me want to do some this weekend...