i love venice. today the sailboats were out and dolphins were playing. down the boardwalk a man squiggled his torso through a tennis racket and another pet his two-headed turtle.
and me? i've got some knitting to do.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
purpose
i love venice. today the sailboats were out and dolphins were playing. down the boardwalk a man squiggled his torso through a tennis racket and another pet his two-headed turtle.
and me? i've got some knitting to do.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
the curse-ed sweater and other various sundries
i'm on my fourth try with this sweater, and i sweartogod, if this version doesn't fit, i'm done. i'm gonna knit the whole thing, and if i can't get in it, or it's too big, it'll be tossed in the mail and sent off to someone else. because it's so cute, but man, the proportions seem weird. it's designed for someone with a far bigger bust than her hips; i am not that person.
that is the bottom of the "small" size. most designers seem to design with a 32-34 bust in mind for small, and i pretty much always knit that size. uh-uhn, no way on this one. it's more likely to fit as a hat. so i did the required LYS run for an additional skein to go one more size up. last time 'round, with knit picks shine worsted, i was planning to knit the xs. i was crazy.
ripping and re-knitting required reinforcements.
but i cheered myself up by going to see coraline in 3D (highly recommend - beautiful! and all hand-made!) and taking silly photos of the latest pair of bella's mittens using my macbook's photobooth, which i just recently discovered. (built-in camera! yay!)
happy sunday!
that is the bottom of the "small" size. most designers seem to design with a 32-34 bust in mind for small, and i pretty much always knit that size. uh-uhn, no way on this one. it's more likely to fit as a hat. so i did the required LYS run for an additional skein to go one more size up. last time 'round, with knit picks shine worsted, i was planning to knit the xs. i was crazy.
ripping and re-knitting required reinforcements.
but i cheered myself up by going to see coraline in 3D (highly recommend - beautiful! and all hand-made!) and taking silly photos of the latest pair of bella's mittens using my macbook's photobooth, which i just recently discovered. (built-in camera! yay!)
happy sunday!
Saturday, February 21, 2009
scruples
yet another rough week in casa rabbit. i'm feeling better - but got in a lot of fights with my doctor's office along the way. i probably spent two entire hours listening to their hold music, all added up. as soon as the referral for a neurologist comes through, i'm done with them; time for a new pcp.
it was a tough week at work, and if that and my health issues weren't enough, i had quite the upset on the knitting front as well. in the midst of skimming through my blogroll, i came across this post from wendy of wendy knits - someone had alerted her to the fact that one of her free patterns was being sold by a LYS. i was musing about how so not cool that is when i received a pm from a very kind raveler, drawing my attention to copies of my bella's mittens pattern for sale on etsy. $12.95. for a free pattern. of course i immediately contacted the seller and asked her to remove the listing and refrain from selling it in the future. she's since taken it down, but not without a fair amount of snippiness. wendy still has not heard back from that LYS - they won't answer or return her calls. seriously, what is wrong with these people?!
anyway.
bella's mittens #4 are done and blocking. i put them on this morning and they are so soft. i'll try to take some proper photos when they're dry tomorrow.
before i sign off - congrats to mindy, rosie, and genevieve! now go and peruse the adorable baby mohair goat photos and have a good squee!
(p.s. - i've stuck a swatch from honeycomb in my bag and will be searching for complementary yarn for the edging - thanks, everyone, for your recommendations!)
it was a tough week at work, and if that and my health issues weren't enough, i had quite the upset on the knitting front as well. in the midst of skimming through my blogroll, i came across this post from wendy of wendy knits - someone had alerted her to the fact that one of her free patterns was being sold by a LYS. i was musing about how so not cool that is when i received a pm from a very kind raveler, drawing my attention to copies of my bella's mittens pattern for sale on etsy. $12.95. for a free pattern. of course i immediately contacted the seller and asked her to remove the listing and refrain from selling it in the future. she's since taken it down, but not without a fair amount of snippiness. wendy still has not heard back from that LYS - they won't answer or return her calls. seriously, what is wrong with these people?!
anyway.
bella's mittens #4 are done and blocking. i put them on this morning and they are so soft. i'll try to take some proper photos when they're dry tomorrow.
before i sign off - congrats to mindy, rosie, and genevieve! now go and peruse the adorable baby mohair goat photos and have a good squee!
(p.s. - i've stuck a swatch from honeycomb in my bag and will be searching for complementary yarn for the edging - thanks, everyone, for your recommendations!)
Monday, February 16, 2009
distractions
so. honeycomb has been aborted. i started knitting the neck edging and about four rows in, it became quite clear - i'm not going to make it. i'm going to run out of yarn and it's one-of-a-kind and there simply isn't any more. i need your advice: should i
1) frog and reknit the XS size of honeycomb
2) go on a mission to find some sort of other complementary yarn for the neck and armbands
3) frog and reknit into a mini clapotis
your opinions greatly appreciated.
in the meantime, i distracted myself with a v-day gift from mr b:
yummy alpaca! i am in love with this yarn - misti alpaca chunky in colorway "monet melange". i know that it appears beige there but - here's a closer look:
can you see the gorgeous shiny strands of red, blue, and yellow twisted with the beige? when they overlap, they give off the impression of purple, green, and orange in the mix. so soft. so gorgeous.
and destined for colorado. a good friend requested a pair of bella's mittens, and i wanted to try a substitute yarn. they're blocking now (mmm, the smell of wet alpaca and soak wool wash throughout the house) and looking good, albeit fuzzier than the originals. i expect the cables won't 'pop' as much as they do with the cascade 109, but they'll sure be softer!
the sun's starting to set so it's time to keep warm and snuggle with the bunnies.
p.s. - the headaches have finally subsided for the most part. we'll see how work goes tomorrow.
1) frog and reknit the XS size of honeycomb
2) go on a mission to find some sort of other complementary yarn for the neck and armbands
3) frog and reknit into a mini clapotis
your opinions greatly appreciated.
in the meantime, i distracted myself with a v-day gift from mr b:
yummy alpaca! i am in love with this yarn - misti alpaca chunky in colorway "monet melange". i know that it appears beige there but - here's a closer look:
can you see the gorgeous shiny strands of red, blue, and yellow twisted with the beige? when they overlap, they give off the impression of purple, green, and orange in the mix. so soft. so gorgeous.
and destined for colorado. a good friend requested a pair of bella's mittens, and i wanted to try a substitute yarn. they're blocking now (mmm, the smell of wet alpaca and soak wool wash throughout the house) and looking good, albeit fuzzier than the originals. i expect the cables won't 'pop' as much as they do with the cascade 109, but they'll sure be softer!
the sun's starting to set so it's time to keep warm and snuggle with the bunnies.
p.s. - the headaches have finally subsided for the most part. we'll see how work goes tomorrow.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
close calls
my laptop says it's saturday but honestly, i'm having a difficult time believing 'er. i've had a weird few days. on thursday i ended up in the studio's medical office where the ice pack and electrolytes the sweet nurses gave me didn't do much to relieve the throbbing in my head or help me re-focus my eyes, so off to urgent care i went. three x-rays later, it appears i have inherited my dad's neck problems. i have something called "giraffe neck" or "military neck" and it's messing with my head in a not-so-fun way that involves intense headaches, an inability to focus my eyes, and seeing spots. whee.
since the meds the doctor gave me very much knock me out, i stayed home on friday. it was cold (40, people! this is socal!) and i decided to turn on two space heaters. and shorted a circuit. after i reset the breakers outside, still no electricity in half the house. so i struggled to stay awake for a couple of hours waiting for the DWP folk, who promptly showed me another set of circuit breakers behind the door in my bedroom. whoops.
when it started raining shortly after, i was thrilled. finally, that quiet rainy day i was waiting for. i snuggled up on the couch with my blanket and i'm not there and started dozing when a loud PLOP startled me out of my half-slumber. PLOP, there it was again. PLOP, PLOP. yeah, the front window was leaking.
i "fixed" that problem with some electrical tape, a towel and bowl.
oh yeah, did i mention? b's in chicago.
so my other close call (so far) this weekend? honeycomb.
can you see how much yarn is left on that cone?! i was nearly hyperventilating as i finished up the back. i think i'll have enough for the ribbed edgings but it's going to be tight.
maeve was feeling badly about all my troubles - and the fact that i'm all alone on v-day since i had to cancel the party i was planning to throw (rock band + giraffe neck = likely another trip to the hospital) - so she got me a present.
four skeins of cascade 220 for a second try at snow white. thanks, girl - how perfect!
since the meds the doctor gave me very much knock me out, i stayed home on friday. it was cold (40, people! this is socal!) and i decided to turn on two space heaters. and shorted a circuit. after i reset the breakers outside, still no electricity in half the house. so i struggled to stay awake for a couple of hours waiting for the DWP folk, who promptly showed me another set of circuit breakers behind the door in my bedroom. whoops.
when it started raining shortly after, i was thrilled. finally, that quiet rainy day i was waiting for. i snuggled up on the couch with my blanket and i'm not there and started dozing when a loud PLOP startled me out of my half-slumber. PLOP, there it was again. PLOP, PLOP. yeah, the front window was leaking.
i "fixed" that problem with some electrical tape, a towel and bowl.
oh yeah, did i mention? b's in chicago.
so my other close call (so far) this weekend? honeycomb.
can you see how much yarn is left on that cone?! i was nearly hyperventilating as i finished up the back. i think i'll have enough for the ribbed edgings but it's going to be tight.
maeve was feeling badly about all my troubles - and the fact that i'm all alone on v-day since i had to cancel the party i was planning to throw (rock band + giraffe neck = likely another trip to the hospital) - so she got me a present.
four skeins of cascade 220 for a second try at snow white. thanks, girl - how perfect!
Monday, February 09, 2009
a tentative life
::sigh:: cole - you're allowed to come out! (now you know why i rarely post photos of the guy - sheesh!)
Saturday, February 07, 2009
the impossible
it was supposed to rain today. the sky was supposed to rock with thunder and fat drops of water pound our skylights. i was supposed to huddle under a blanket knitting and drinking tea, listening to this american life and cast on. and not do the laundry because our washer is in a shed in back of the house.
yeah.
so i still knit and listened to podcasts and drank tea but instead of trying to stay warm and cozy under a blanket, i sweat so much i had to take off my favorite sweater. and felt guilty for not doing the wash.
anyway.
my knit picks telemark color card arrived during the week:
i still have no idea which color to choose - i've eliminated some of my original choices, but fell in love with a few others. i might just end up going with squirrel heather, a nice grey-beige heather; i should be able to wear it with blank or brown pants, and certainly any shade of denim, without clashing. i'm so used to knitting with dramatic or deep colors - can i handle it?
oooh look! what's this?
aww, it's the let's be friends award! puffthemagicrabbit extended this little beaut to me. here's the award descrip: "These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.” so. sweet.
so now i'm going to share the love and hand out the award to eight more wonderful bloggers:
-malaraky, dear friend and the woman who taught me how to knit back in high school. whenever we have the chance to get together (which isn't very often - she's lived around the world and back!) it feels comfortable and just like old times.
-beigeberry, who i met when we were both eleven years old and was my saving grace in this odd city until last november, when (smartly) she and her fiance up and moved to philadelphia. girl, i miss you!
-right back at puffthemagicrabbit, who somewhat recently commented on one of my posts, leading me to check out her blog and become immensely jealous of her life on a fiber farm - angora bunnies, mohair goats... i am in love with her goat named stuff. i want her life. the. end.
-fickleknitter, who i've finally now met in person after corresponding via blog comments for years(?). such a talented up-and-coming designer - go check out pivot. love.
-ysolda. 'nuff said.
-melissa of knittingschooldropout. so talented, and i wish she'd post more often!
-sayllama, a local professional comic artist who had fabulous taste in knitwear and blog names!
-and finally, a non-knitter (as far as i'm aware): ashley g at kittygenius, an amazing portland artist whose work is slowly covering my walls.
happy saturday!
yeah.
so i still knit and listened to podcasts and drank tea but instead of trying to stay warm and cozy under a blanket, i sweat so much i had to take off my favorite sweater. and felt guilty for not doing the wash.
anyway.
my knit picks telemark color card arrived during the week:
i still have no idea which color to choose - i've eliminated some of my original choices, but fell in love with a few others. i might just end up going with squirrel heather, a nice grey-beige heather; i should be able to wear it with blank or brown pants, and certainly any shade of denim, without clashing. i'm so used to knitting with dramatic or deep colors - can i handle it?
oooh look! what's this?
aww, it's the let's be friends award! puffthemagicrabbit extended this little beaut to me. here's the award descrip: "These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.” so. sweet.
so now i'm going to share the love and hand out the award to eight more wonderful bloggers:
-malaraky, dear friend and the woman who taught me how to knit back in high school. whenever we have the chance to get together (which isn't very often - she's lived around the world and back!) it feels comfortable and just like old times.
-beigeberry, who i met when we were both eleven years old and was my saving grace in this odd city until last november, when (smartly) she and her fiance up and moved to philadelphia. girl, i miss you!
-right back at puffthemagicrabbit, who somewhat recently commented on one of my posts, leading me to check out her blog and become immensely jealous of her life on a fiber farm - angora bunnies, mohair goats... i am in love with her goat named stuff. i want her life. the. end.
-fickleknitter, who i've finally now met in person after corresponding via blog comments for years(?). such a talented up-and-coming designer - go check out pivot. love.
-ysolda. 'nuff said.
-melissa of knittingschooldropout. so talented, and i wish she'd post more often!
-sayllama, a local professional comic artist who had fabulous taste in knitwear and blog names!
-and finally, a non-knitter (as far as i'm aware): ashley g at kittygenius, an amazing portland artist whose work is slowly covering my walls.
happy saturday!
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
going green
so i guess i should show you my (lack of) progress on honeycomb:
i'm just shy of half way, i think, since this vest has such a nice scoopy neck - less fabric, less knitting! i'm not complaining - this is a joy to knit especially after i taught myself how to cable without a cable needle. but i'm motivated to finish her now that the lovely stash n burn ladies have dubbed this month vest-uary. yeah, i know - always just ahead of the curve!
there's a lot of green in our house right now.
like fickleknitter, i received an aerogarden for the holidays. over the past week, the herbs i'm growing have exploded!
the bunnies approve.
i'm just shy of half way, i think, since this vest has such a nice scoopy neck - less fabric, less knitting! i'm not complaining - this is a joy to knit especially after i taught myself how to cable without a cable needle. but i'm motivated to finish her now that the lovely stash n burn ladies have dubbed this month vest-uary. yeah, i know - always just ahead of the curve!
there's a lot of green in our house right now.
like fickleknitter, i received an aerogarden for the holidays. over the past week, the herbs i'm growing have exploded!
the bunnies approve.
Sunday, February 01, 2009
animal house
whatchoo wanna do tonight, guys?
oh, okay. you set up while i get the snacks.
all ready? thanks, maeve! where's mr b?
**subliminalrabbit: new & improved with drunk bunnies. back to your regularly scheduled program of knitting and ferris wheels tomorrow!
oh, okay. you set up while i get the snacks.
all ready? thanks, maeve! where's mr b?
**subliminalrabbit: new & improved with drunk bunnies. back to your regularly scheduled program of knitting and ferris wheels tomorrow!
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